Glaia awarded Deep Tech Investment of the Year for yield boosting sugar tech

Glaia, a spinout from the University of Bristol, uses a carbon-based nano-material to create ‘sugar dots’ that when applied to the plant improves the  efficiency of photosynthesis; the energy producing process that plants use to fuel their growth. Naturally, less than 1% of the sun’s rays absorbed by plants are turned into biomass.

Sugar-dot technology is yield enhancing

Applying Glaia’s new-generation biostimulants to the roots or leaves could revolutionise the production of staple and horticultural crops. With the team estimating it has potential to increase harvests by as much as 40% without increasing fertilisers.

The sugar-dots are non-toxic, benign to the environment and water soluble, and can be applied directly to the soil, as part of irrigation systems, or via foliar application, which makes them completely compatible with current farming practices.

The team’s inital focus has been  hydroponic tomatoes and strawberries, where they estimate the added value could result in a fivefold return on investment for the growers.