SugaROx secures £2.5M investment from fertiliser multinational to accelerate its first product launch

UK-based crop biostimulant venture SugaROx has secured a £2.5 million investment from The Mosaic Company as part of its ongoing Series A funding round, strengthening its path to commercialisation of a first-in-class crop biostimulant.

The strategic investment will enable SugaROx to expand its research and development of biostimulant technologies.  It will also support a significant increase in field trials across key global markets for the company’s lead product – a biostimulant based on a proprietary form of the natural plant sugar trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), developed from patented technology from Oxford University and Rothamsted Research.

The Mosaic Company invested £400,000 in SugaROx’s seed round in 2025, supporting the scale-up of its proprietary biostimulant synthesis from laboratory to pilot facility in the UK. This enabled field testing to be extended across five markets.

With this new funding, SugaROx will significantly expand its trial programme to validate product performance and generate the data required for regulatory approval and commercial launch in the UK, EU and US.

Achieving consistent performance under real-world conditions has been a key challenge for biostimulants, as many biologically active plant molecules cannot be effectively delivered into plant cells using standard agronomic practices, such as foliar sprays.

SugaROx addresses this challenge through a patented delivery technology that enables these molecules to be absorbed by plants and then cross cell walls and membranes, supporting more reliable field performance.

All molecules targeted by SugaROx have well-characterised roles within plant cells. The first molecule in its pipeline inhibits a famine-signalling enzyme, stimulating the movement of carbon and nutrients towards grain filling, improving yield and quality.

Mark Robbins, Chief Executive Officer of SugaROx, said: “We’re delighted to deepen our collaboration with The Mosaic Company as we move closer to commercialisation. Their continued support is a strong validation of both our science and our ability to deliver a differentiated product in a fast-growing market.”

The venture is targeting a UK product launch in 2027-2028, followed by expansion into the EU and US in 2028-2030. Initial focus crops include wheat and barley in the UK and Europe, and soybean and maize in North America. Work is also underway on horticultural crops.

Jeff Wheeler, Vice President – Biosciences at The Mosaic Company, added: “SugaROx is advancing a new category of precision biostimulants that aligns closely with our approach at Mosaic Biosciences, where we are building a science-backed portfolio of solutions that support the biology of plants and soil. We are pleased to support the team as they expand field validation and progress towards commercialisation.”

Biostimulants are among the fastest-growing segments in crop inputs, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of around 12%. SugaROx is now focused on securing the remaining investment required to complete its Series A round and bring its proprietary biostimulant molecules to market. For more information, visit: https://sugarox.co.uk/.

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