Agri-tech venture SugaROx selected for HARVEST programme to advance field validation of precision biostimulants

SugaROx, a UK-based developer of next-generation crop biostimulants, has been selected for the inaugural H.A.R.V.E.S.T. AgTech cohort led by The Yield Lab Institute in the US.

The programme brings together a select group of startups developing biological solutions to improve crop performance, resilience and sustainability, with SugaROx chosen as one of seven companies through a competitive process.

SugaROx’s first product is a caged version of trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a naturally occurring plant sugar known for its role in stimulating carbon use and allocation.

At the core of this product is a proprietary “chemical caging” technology, which enables the delivery of highly charged bioactivators into plant cells to stimulate key metabolic pathways and stress responses. This signals a step toward more consistent, science-based biostimulant solutions.

Participation in the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. programme comes as SugaROx advances toward a Series A investment raise to support the registration and commercialisation of its first product across the UK, EU and US.

The company’s caged version of T6P has been field tested primarily in broadacre crops including wheat in the UK and EU, and maize and soybean in the US, which form the initial focus for commercial launch.

As part of the cohort, SugaROx will collaborate with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) Innovate programme and F3 Local to test its product on a high-value crop – tomatoes. Work on tomatoes has so far been conducted under controlled conditions, where glasshouse trials have shown yield improvements of up to 20%.

Bianca Forte, Business Development Director at SugaROx, said: “We are seeing growing interest from crop input manufacturers and distributors in biostimulants with clear, science-based modes of action. Demonstrating field performance in high-value, climate-sensitive crops is a key step in showing the scalability of our platform. We are grateful to H.A.R.V.E.S.T. for the opportunity to do so.”

A spokesperson for The Yield Lab Institute added: “We see single-molecule formulations as an important evolution in the biostimulants sector, with strong potential to address climate-related challenges in agriculture both in the US and globally. We look forward to seeing how SugaROx’s proprietary T6P performs in the Californian tomato crop environment.”

For more information, visit: sugarox.co.uk.

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