Germany-based SenseUP GmbH has closed a EUR 2.4 million seed round led by Capnamic, with participation from HBG Ventures, CHECK24 Impact, and Rockstart.

SenseUP has developed a new generation of biopesticides: encapsulated dsRNA-based pesticides. Built on a patented, multi-product platform using precision fermentation, SenseUP’s products are produced from renewable resources and applied using well-established farming infrastructure. The company notes this allows for the delivery of a “highly stable and robust product with low cost of production at scale” – fundamental factors for a commercially viable new class of pesticides.

SenseUP has expertise and years of combined experience delivering successful projects based on Corynebacterium glutamicum, a microorganism that has been used in feed and food production for decades. Now the company’s mission is to leverage its Corynebacterium-based fermentative platform to revolutionize crop protection.

The company said the funding will accelerate the development of the SenseUP product portfolio, grow the team across several functions, and expand strategic collaborations with leading industry players.

“Our technology addresses the urgent global challenge of crop losses due to pests and pathogens, which reach 17-30 percent each year and represent billions of dollars in production losses,” said Dr. Georg Schaumann, CEO and founder of SenseUP. “At the same time, the overuse of chemical pesticides is driving pest resistance and biodiversity loss, and contaminating soils. With the insecticide and fungicide market projected to reach USD 44 billion by 2030, there is significant potential for emerging technologies to offer safer, more sustainable solutions.”

SenseUP recently moved to its new HQ at BioCampus Cologne. The company is a spin-off from the renowned German Institute for Biotechnology at Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)