Belgian BiocSol, a UCLouvain spin-off specialising in sustainable microbial-based crop protection, has secured €5.2 million in seed funding led by Agri Investment Fund (AIF) and VIVES IUF, the round also included Belgian investors Invest.BW and IMBC Spinnova.
This funding marks the first step toward BiocSol’s €10 million fundraising goal by year-end, enabling the company to expand its team, advance R&D, and initiate regulatory processes for its biofungicides.
“We are thrilled by the confidence our investors have shown in our biopesticides technology and our long-term vision,” said Denis Payen, newly-appointed CEO of BiocSol. “With this funding we can scale up our technology, providing farmers worldwide with access to more sustainable and efficient agricultural solutions. In the face of climate change and resource limitations, our microbial-based methods offer a future-forward, eco-friendly approach.”
BiocSol’s technology is built on over a decade of research at UCLouvain’s Earth & Life Institute. The company’s microbial-based biopesticides, targeting pathogens such as late blight in potatoes and downy mildew in grapes, offer a stable and effective alternative to traditional methods. Initial field tests have demonstrated promising results, addressing critical agricultural challenges like pathogen resistance and climate change impacts.
BiocSol’s focus aligns with a pressing need in global agriculture: fungal and oomycete pathogens destroy 20–40% of annual crop yields worldwide, threatening food security. By providing farmers with reliable, cost-effective biopesticides, BiocSol seeks to mitigate these losses and support the transition to sustainable agriculture.
BiocSol plans to use the investment to optimise production processes, meet growing demand, and further develop its molecular platform for crop protection.
“This new investment is strategic for our fund as it enables us to become part of the rapidly growing Wallonia AgTech ecosystem,” said Patrik Haesen, CEO of Agri Investment Fund. “We are particularly impressed by BiocSol’s innovative approach, which addresses some of the most pressing agricultural problems by creating multiple modes of action to combat pathogens that are swiftly developing resistance to current solutions.”
Founder and CTO Simon Caulier emphasised the company’s mission, saying, “We’re at a pivotal moment for the company, advancing our mission to develop sustainable crop protection solutions. This investment allows us to bring impactful solutions to agriculture, fostering a healthier planet for future generations.“
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2024/11/louvain-la-neuve-based-biocsol-raises-e5-2-million-seed-funding-to-advance-sustainable-crop-protection/
