What if, instead of chemical pesticides, we could treat plant pests differently? SOLASTA Bio is taking a different path by focusing on the biological dynamics within pest insects, providing growers with an environmentally friendly option to protect their crops.
At the heart of SOLASTA Bio are insect neuropeptides. These are tiny proteins that insects already produce and use as physiological messengers. The startup, building upon years of research by the two cofounders, Shireen Davies and Julian Dow, understands how these proteins work. Moreover, it is now capable of producing and delivering them.
Instead of poisoning insects, the peptides pushpests “over the edge”, disrupting their natural fitness. “Moreover, we selectively target the insects behind a specific pest, without impacting other species, such as pollinators, which we want to protect,” adds Shireen.
The Glasgow-headquartered company uses big data and multiple approaches to demonstrate the efficacy of these peptides. Thanks to their extensive proprietary databases on insect neuropeptides, SOLASTA Bio can rapidly identify effective peptides that are selectively designed for the target insect pest. Promising candidates are first validated in the lab, then tested in-house on insects and trialed in the field.
A Stress Test
“StartLife shakes your idea up, testing every aspect of your startup, including the team, the business model, and the market validation. The program helped us to think and list the aspects that would get us moving,” recalls Shireen. In her view, the work conducted with the mentors is still relevant years later.
Furthermore, by tapping into StartLife’s partner network, SOLASTA Bio could broaden its scope. Shireen: “We further understood the scale of the crop pest problem, and we learned where the market interests are, potentially giving us a future focus.”
Growing In a Competitive Industry
Like any other deeptech startup, SOLASTA Bio faces the challenges of scaling up its technology. Moreover, it must meet industry standards by delivering cost-competitive products that can be stored for years, similar to conventional pesticides. “Growers won’t adopt a product just because it’s sustainable,” Shireen notes. “It must be as effective as the commercial standard.”
In her view, collaborations with established industry players, such as crop protection companies and distributors, ultimately provide validation and commercial insights. “Corporates need to see that we are ahead of the pack,” says Shireen. “They want strong data early, and they want confidence that the technology will keep delivering.”
With the support of the Series A round raised in 2024, the company focused on optimizing product development and the costs of its products. In continuing its growth process, the company is now also present in the United States and looks forward to advancing and radically changing agriculture.
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