Solasta Bio
Solasta Bio is a Glasgow-based agri-biotech company developing neuropeptide-based bioinsecticides for precision-targeted crop protection. Founded in 2021 as a University of Glasgow spin-out, it serves commercial growers with sustainable pest control products expected to launch by 2027.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Solasta Bio does
Solasta Bio is a Glasgow-based agri-biotech company developing neuropeptide-based bioinsecticides as a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical insecticides for crop protection. Founded in 2021 as a spin-out from the University of Glasgow, the company engineers bio-inspired peptides designed to target specific pest insect groups with unique insect specificity, disrupting pest behavior and lifecycles — causing pests to forget to lay eggs or avoid feeding — while remaining non-toxic to non-targeted species including pollinators, wildlife, humans, and soil. The company has completed over 50 greenhouse and field trials across Asia, Europe, and the United States demonstrating efficacy at least comparable to traditional chemical insecticides, and has built a patent portfolio of 14 granted patents (8 in the US and 6 in Europe). The platform is regulated under nature-inspired peptide chemistry and has received an EPA green light, accelerating the path toward US regulatory approval.
The company is pre-commercial and does not yet generate product revenue. Its intended revenue model centers on commercial sales of peptide-based bioinsecticide products to growers and agricultural businesses, with first market entry targeted for 2027. Pricing has not been publicly disclosed. Solasta Bio is building distribution primarily through strategic channel partnerships with major agricultural input companies — FMC Ventures (FMC Corporation), Corteva Catalyst (Corteva, Inc.), and Cavallo Ventures (Wilbur-Ellis) — alongside a direct enterprise field-sales motion, anchored by a dedicated US operations base in North Carolina. Institutional investors backing the company include Forbion BioEconomy Fund (Series A lead), Yield Lab Europe, Rubio Impact Ventures, Scottish Enterprise, SIS Ventures, UKI2S, and Innovate UK (grant support), with total funding of approximately $19 million raised across seed (£1.3M, 2021), an undisclosed round (£4M, 2023), and Series A ($14M, December 2024).
As of late 2025, Solasta Bio operates from a 4,000+ square foot headquarters and laboratory facility at the West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow and employs 26 people. The leadership team is anchored by academic co-founders CEO Shireen Davies and CSO Julian Dow, supplemented by experienced commercial executives including CFO David Armour, CSO Paula Pinto, and CBO Daphne Preuss (US operations). The company has been recognized in The Sunday Times 100 Tech "Ones to Watch" and as one of nine best UK agritech startups to watch in 2025.
Solasta Bio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solasta Bio
- Legal name
- SOLASTA Bio Ltd.
- Website
- https://solastabio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Solasta Bio is a Glasgow-based agri-biotech company developing neuropeptide-based bioinsecticides for precision-targeted crop protection. Founded in 2021 as a University of Glasgow spin-out, it serves commercial growers with sustainable pest control products expected to launch by 2027.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solasta Bio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Biotechnology
- NAICS
- Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Agricultural Chemicals (2870)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Microbial Bioinsecticides (incl. Bt) (AFABAEAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB)
Keywords
Where Solasta Bio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Solasta Bio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Peptide-based bioinsecticide products: The company plans to commercialize neuropeptide-based insect control products for crop protection. Products expected to reach market by 2027. Revenue model will likely involve product sales to growers and agri-businesses.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Solasta Bio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solasta Bio develops nature-inspired, neuropeptide-based bioinsecticides that deliver precision-targeted pest control while protecting pollinators, wildlife, and non-targeted species. The peptides act on specific insect targets to alter behavior and disrupt lifecycles rather than killing outright, and are bio-degradable with no resistance build-up. The company is pre-commercial, with first products planned for market entry by 2027.
Product overview
SOLASTA Bio offers a unified peptide-based bioinsecticide product platform under the SOLASTA® Bio Precision Insect Control brand. The company's solutions are nature-inspired neuropeptide-based products that target specific pest insects while being non-toxic to all non-targeted species including pollinators, wildlife, humans, and land. The products work by altering pest behavior and disrupting lifecycles rather than killing outright, and are designed to be environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and to prevent resistance build-up. The company plans to commercialize its first products by 2027.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SOLASTA® Bio Precision Insect Control
Quantifiable outcome
- Efficacy at least as effective as traditional chemical insecticides
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Solasta Bio
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Solasta Bio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Solasta Bio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- University of GlasgowcoreSpin-out origin. CEO Shireen Davies and CSO Julian Dow were professors at University of Glasgow. Company developed from research in insect neuroendocrinology and 'omics.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Solasta Bio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solasta Bio social profiles
Digital presenceSolasta Bio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solasta Bio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Solasta Bio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solasta Bio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solasta Bio
What does Solasta Bio do?
Solasta Bio develops nature-inspired, neuropeptide-based bioinsecticides that deliver precision-targeted pest control while protecting pollinators, wildlife, and non-targeted species. The peptides act on specific insect targets to alter behavior and disrupt lifecycles rather than killing outright, and are bio-degradable with no resistance build-up. The company is pre-commercial, with first products planned for market entry by 2027.
Is Solasta Bio a public or private company?
Solasta Bio is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Solasta Bio founded?
Solasta Bio was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Solasta Bio based?
Solasta Bio is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Solasta Bio make money?
One revenue line is on record: peptide-based bioinsecticide products.
Does Solasta Bio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solasta Bio.
What industry is Solasta Bio in?
Solasta Bio's product category is Agricultural Biotechnology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFABAEAC, Microbial Bioinsecticides (incl. Bt), with a secondary code of AFABAKAB, Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials). Its NAICS code is 32532 and its SIC code is 2870.