SugaROx secures £2.5 million investment from fertiliser multinational to accelerate its first product launch
- Accumont
- May 14
- 3 min read
Press Release
5 May 2026
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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Issued on behalf of SugaROx by Fantastic Media. For further information please contact Hannah Ashley on h.ashley@fantasticmedia.co.uk or call 0113 246 4425.
Notes to Editors:
About SugaROx
SugaROx is a UK-based agri-tech company developing next-generation crop biostimulants to improve crop yield, quality and resilience, while reducing the carbon footprint of food production. A spin-out from Rothamsted Research and the University of Oxford, the venture combines world-class expertise in plant science and organic chemistry to design single-molecule formulations with precise modes of action.
Its proprietary technology enables the delivery of natural molecules that regulate key intracellular pathways in plants via agronomic practices used by farmers. By neutralising the polarity of these natural molecules with a temporary ‘delivery cage’, SugaROx overcomes a fundamental barrier to plant uptake and movement across cell walls and membranes - unlocking consistent performance in the field.
For more information, visit the SugaROx website: https://sugarox.co.uk/
About The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate and potash fertilisers. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Mosaic supports farmers in the US and beyond with innovative crop nutrition solutions developed for farmers also in big markets in LATAM and APAC. Through its Mosaic Biosciences platform, Mosaic is focused on commercializing Bio Crop Nutrition and Bio Crop Stimulant technologies to improve nutrient use efficiency and crop resilience.
For more information, visit The Mosaic Company website: https://mosaicco.com/Home
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