Oxford's SugaROx Secures €1.1M for Biostimulant Scale-Up

Oxford-based agri-biotech spinout SugaROx secured €1.1 million in a seed round extension. The Mosaic Company led this funding round, contributing £400k. This investment accelerates the development and production of its crop-enhancing biostimulants.

Returning angel investors and funds, including UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund and Regenerate Ventures, provided the remaining £600k. This latest capital injection follows a £2.4 million grant from Innovate UK secured earlier this year. SugaROx focuses on optimizing plant metabolism.

Accelerating Biostimulant Production and Trials

SugaROx develops next-generation biostimulants. Its first product, based on Trehalose-6-Phosphate (T6P), supports crop growth, crop yield, and resilience under stress. This responds to increasing demand for sustainable agriculture inputs. The company's delivery system allows efficient leaf absorption of the T6P molecule.

This funding supports pilot-scale production and field trials.

SugaROx plans to launch its wheat-focused biostimulant in the UK by 2027 and in the EU by 2028. Furthermore, it advances soybean and maize trials for the US and Brazilian markets. The biostimulant market represents a fast-growing segment within agri-biotech. Companies like Indigo Ag and Pivot Bio also operate in this expanding sector.

Founded in 2021, SugaROx is a joint spinout from the University of Oxford and Rothamsted Research. Its technology addresses a key bottleneck in biostimulant adoption: effective absorption and activation. SugaROx aims to transform the biostimulants industry with science-based solutions.