- Moa uses the kind of biotechnology applied to human health in the critically important field of agriculture
- It has been selected as a Top Innovator in the Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge run by UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s open innovation platform
- Moa will receive targeted support, networking and mentorship to help scale its work internationally
- “Just as antibiotic-resistant bacteria have evolved, and threaten the effectiveness of certain medicines, so herbicide-resistant weeds threaten agricultural productivity,” says Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa
OXFORD, United Kingdom, Oct. 30, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Moa Technology (Moa or the Company), the agricultural biotechnology (agribio) company tackling herbicide-resistant weeds that threaten the world’s food security, today announces that it has won an award from UpLink, the World Economic Forum’s open innovation platform, as part of its Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge.
Moa’s selection as a Top Innovator in UpLink’s Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge means it will receive targeted support, networking and mentorship to help scale its pioneering work. It was selected from more than 240 applications and is one of 12 winners.1
Herbicide-resistant weeds threaten agricultural productivity and are a major problem for growing numbers of farmers across the world. Without effective herbicides, farmers can lose up to 40% of their crop yield as a result of weed growth.
Moa uses the same kinds of advanced approaches employed in health and medicine-focused biotech to identify, understand, and develop next-generation herbicides with game-changing speed and accuracy. Specifically, it aims to develop herbicides with novel modes of action (MOAs), based on small molecule and natural product approaches.
The Company, which was spun out of the University of Oxford in 2017, today employs over 60 people, and last year completed a £35m ($44m) series B funding round.
Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology, says:
“We are delighted to receive this award, especially since it will help draw attention to major challenges facing farmers across the world, including herbicide resistance.
“Just as antibiotic-resistant bacteria have evolved, and threaten the effectiveness of certain medicines, so herbicide-resistant weeds threaten agricultural productivity. This is creating a crisis in agriculture, threatening farmers’ livelihoods and their ability to feed the world.
“The opportunities for agribio companies to address challenges facing farmers are huge and vitally important, especially amid climate change and population growth. It’s critical that scientists take the kind of cutting-edge biotechnology so successfully applied to human health and apply it rigorously and responsibly to agriculture on an international basis.
“We are particularly excited to be joining the Top Innovators network and look forward to engaging with other pioneering companies. Solving problems in agriculture will require many solutions used together, and it is vital that companies engage with each other and foster innovation.”
Next-generation herbicides will play an important role in combating climate change. If weeds are allowed to reduce agricultural productivity, farmers will need to use more land, fertiliser, diesel, and other inputs to produce the same amount food, substantially increasing carbon emissions. Increased land use for farming would also reduce natural carbon sequestration, as well as impacting biodiversity and general resilience.
Effective herbicides also reduce the need for ploughing to control weeds. Ploughing can damage soil, reduce productivity and increase carbon emissions.
Furthermore, farmers will need effective herbicides to grow new crops and contend with new weed mixes as crop growing areas shift amid climate change.
Notes to Editors
Media contacts
Guy Dennis: E: guy.dennis@moa-technology.com T: +44 (0)7957 110168
Sue Charles: E: sue@charles-consultants.com T: +44 (0)7968 726585
About Moa Technology
Moa Technology is an agribio company developing next-generation small molecule herbicides and bioherbicides with novel modes of action.
Moa has developed its own proprietary plant-led discovery engine that has generated a promising pipeline of novel herbicides that it is advancing towards field trials.
By discovering and commercialising novel herbicides, Moa’s goal is to improve global food security and help feed the world’s growing population efficiently, safely and sustainably whilst respecting human and environmental health. With a collaborative approach to integrated weed management, Moa aims to support farmers with better products that address the challenge of ever-increasing levels of weed resistance to herbicides, improving crop health and productivity, and mitigating against the impact of climate change.
Based on The Oxford Science Park, Moa was spun out from the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department in 2017 based on ground-breaking research by co-founders Professor Liam Dolan FRS and Dr Clément Champion. The Company is backed by top-tier life science and agritech investors including Lansdowne Partners, IP Group, BGF Investments, Bits x Bites, Parkwalk Advisors, Oxford Sciences Innovation and the University of Oxford.
Website: https://www.moa-technology.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moa-technology/
1. The 2023 winners of the WEF UpLink Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge are Alkama, AMAATI, Amini, Billion Carbon Solutions, Davara E-Registry, Instacrops, Kheyti, Moa Technology, Spowdi, Unibaio, UpTrade and Virtual Irrigation Academy. See video on the 12 winners here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF8XLM1Oh8s&ab_channel=UpLink
