Key Takeaways
- Biocentis has secured $19 million through seed equity funding and a grant from Wellcome to expand its biological insect-control platform.
- The round includes $13 million in seed investment led by The Grantham Foundation and Algebris Investments, with participation from several European and global investors.
- Biocentis will move its first mosquito and fruit-fly solutions into field trials in the U.S., Brazil and additional markets.
- The company uses genome engineering and AI-driven digital twins to develop precise, non-chemical insect population control tools.
- Funding will support global expansion and broaden the platform to new species and applications.
Biocentis Secures Funding to Scale Biological Alternatives to Chemical Pest Control
Biocentis, a life-science company spun out of Imperial College London, has raised $19 million to advance its biological and computational technologies for controlling harmful insect populations. The funding includes a $13 million seed round led by The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment and Algebris Investments, with additional participation from Neurone, Corbites, Novaterra and several prominent entrepreneurs. A $6 million award from Wellcome brings total financing to $19 million.
The company’s mission is to develop insect-control tools that protect human health, agriculture and biodiversity without the environmental and health impacts associated with chemical pesticides.
Biocentis Strengthens R&D for Precision Genetic Insect Control
Using a proprietary genome-engineering platform, Biocentis develops insects with traits designed to reduce fertility within the target species. When released, these engineered insects mate with their wild counterparts, decreasing population size while leaving non-target species and ecosystems unaffected.
The company also integrates artificial intelligence to create digital twins that simulate how these biological systems behave in real-world environments. This accelerates development and allows policymakers, growers and public-health authorities to assess risks and outcomes before field deployment.
Co-founder and CEO Giorgio Rocca said the company’s approach delivers “precision and high efficacy” without toxic substances. He emphasized that the combination of engineered insects and predictive software offers a sustainable alternative as chemical pesticides face declining effectiveness and rising ecological concerns.
Field Trials to Begin Across Multiple Countries
The first solutions in Biocentis’ pipeline target two major threats:
- A mosquito species responsible for transmitting dengue, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya
- An invasive fruit fly that causes significant global fruit-crop losses
With the new funding, Biocentis plans to initiate field trials across the United States, Brazil and other key regions. The company also aims to extend its programmable biology platform to additional species and expand its technology to public-health, agricultural and ecological applications.
