Leading the funding round was Forbion, through its BioEconomy fund, with additional backing from FMC Ventures (FMC Corporation) and Corteva Inc., via the Corteva Catalyst platform. Existing investors Cavallo Ventures (Wilbur-Ellis), Rubio Impact Ventures, Scottish Enterprise, UKi2S, SIS Ventures, and the University of Glasgow also participated. This latest round brings SOLASTA Bio’s total funding to $19 million. As part of the investment, Joy Faucher of Forbion will join the company’s board.

The Series A funding follows a successful 2023 field trials season, where SOLASTA Bio’s insect control agents performed at or above commercial standards in over 20 trials across Europe, the UK, and the US.

Founded in 2021, SOLASTA Bio has created the world’s first platform for developing bioinsecticides that are inspired by natural processes rather than synthetic chemicals. These eco-friendly solutions meet the efficacy of current chemical insecticides but offer the added benefit of protecting crucial pollinators, such as bees, while selectively targeting harmful insect pests. The platform's adaptability allows it to be used for a wide range of pest control applications, from crops to stored grain.

With fresh investment in hand, SOLASTA Bio plans to further advance its technology and pipeline of insect control agents, tapping into a $27 billion annual market. The company also aims to expand its US operations, grow its field trials in key global regions, scale up biomanufacturing, and explore strategic opportunities beyond agriculture.

SOLASTA Bio aims for market entry by 2027, a timeline significantly shorter than the typical development cycle for synthetic pesticides. Co-founded by CEO Shireen Davies and CSO Professor Julian Dow, the company’s leadership includes experts from both technical and agrochemical sectors, such as Daphne Preuss, Paula Pinto, David Armour, and Rob Wylie.

As global demand for sustainable crop protection grows, SOLASTA Bio is positioned to play a key role in this shift. The global insecticide market, currently dominated by synthetic chemicals, faces increasing challenges from insect resistance, regulatory pressure, and consumer demand for eco-friendly solutions. With pollinators essential to 75% of food crops and insect-related crop losses exceeding $70 billion in the US alone, SOLASTA Bio’s solutions aim to meet the urgent need for environmentally responsible pest control.

Shireen Davies PhD, FRSE, CEO and co-founder, SOLASTA Bio commented: “SOLASTA Bio has come a long way since we set out on this journey 3 years ago. Having established operations in the UK and US, we’ve now got an international team with outstanding competencies in technology and agribusiness and, importantly, we have developed our unique technology platform to address grower pain points. The results of our field trials have been hugely encouraging, demonstrating high efficacy of biopeptides against target insect pests, as effective or better than standard insecticides. With Series A now secured, it’s time for SOLASTA Bio to kick on to the next level and successfully hit our targets for commercialisation.”

Joy Faucher, Partner at Forbion BioEconomy commented: “As traditional insect control agents struggle with resistance and impact to biodiversity, SOLASTA is poised to revolutionise the crop protection market at a critical time, with a cost-effective, sustainable and high-efficacy alternative that can be adopted seamlessly by farmers. The team’s deep expertise in insect neuropeptide modalities, their differentiated tech platform and proven real-world data provide a unique position to launch a series of first-in-class products that can redefine the agriculture industry.”

Mark Brooks, Managing Director, FMC Ventures commented: “SOLASTA’s nature-inspired approach to insect control is a game changer in crop protection. Their approach addresses the critical issue of insect resistance while also supporting the goal of preserving pollinators and biodiversity. We have been in contact with SOLASTA for a long time, assessing their potential to benefit crop protection. FMC Ventures is proud to co-lead this funding round and accelerate progress towards more sustainable inputs in crop protection.”

Tom Greene, Senior Director and Global Leader, Corteva Catalyst commented: “SOLASTA is a critical player in the rapidly expanding market for nature-inspired crop health products – particularly in the peptide technology space. They are driving the type of sustainable innovation necessary to advance the next generation of biological and naturally inspired crop protection technologies, and Corteva Catalyst is pleased to stand alongside SOLASTA as a co-lead investor in this funding round.”