Bionema

What Bionema does

Bionema is a Swansea-based biocontrol technology company founded in 2012 as a spin-out from Swansea University. It develops and commercialises biological crop protection products — biopesticides, biostimulants and biofertilisers — serving growers and land managers across horticulture, sport turf, forestry, public health, and broad-acre agriculture. Its customers include UK and European amenity-turf operators such as Neath Golf Club, The Grove, and Pennoxstone Court, alongside an expanding public-health and agricultural user base.

The company's product platform is built around microbial active ingredients and proprietary formulation/delivery technology. Core branded platforms include NemaTrident (entomopathogenic-nematode-based insect control), UniSpore (fungal-spore-based insect control), IncapsuleX (a microencapsulation technology that protects biological actives in the field), NemaSpreader (a nematode application adjuvant), BiofilmTech (a biofilm-based biostimulant/biofertiliser system), and Soil-Jet (a soil-application delivery system). The technology was significantly endorsed in 2021 when Syngenta acquired the NemaTrident and UniSpore patent and trademark estates, validating the IP at multinational agrochemical standards.

Bionema monetises through direct B2B sales of its biological products to end users (e.g. golf courses, growers, public-health authorities), through a network of UK and EU distribution partners, and via IP licensing/asset sales to larger agrochemical companies. Geographic expansion into South Asia (Bangladesh) is being executed through a dedicated regional representative. The company employs 10–50 people and has received multiple Innovate UK grants totalling more than £1m alongside equity rounds, including a £500k round in 2018 and a 2023 round from the Cultivator programme. Bionema has received the King's Award for Enterprise: Innovation (2024) and the King's Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development (2026).

Name

Bionema

Legal name

Bionema Group Limited

Website

https://bionema.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bionema is a Swansea University spin-out developing biological crop protection products — biopesticides, biostimulants and biofertilisers — for horticulture, sport turf, forestry, public health, and agriculture. It commercialises microbial platforms including NemaTrident and the IncapsuleX encapsulation system via distributors and IP licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Crop Protection / Biopesticides

NAICS

Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (325320), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

SIC

Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbial Biopesticides (Bacterial, Fungal, Viral) (AFABAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microbial Bionematicides (AFABAEAD), Biostimulants & Plant Health Biologicals (Microbial/Non-microbial) (AFABAEAK), Biological Pest Control (Beneficial Insects, Nematodes, Microbials) (AFABAKAB)

Keywords

• Biological crop protection
• Biopesticide formulations
• Entomopathogenic nematodes
• Biostimulant products
• Natural pest control

Headquarters

HQ city

Swansea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biopesticide Product Sales: Direct sales of biological crop protection products including biopesticides, biostimulants, biofertilisers, and biosurfactants to customers in horticulture, turf, forestry, and agriculture sectors.
2. Technology Licensing: Licensing of proprietary technologies and IP to large agrochemical companies. Example: NemaTrident® and UniSpore® patents and trademarks acquired by Syngenta with global development and commercialisation rights.
3. Training and Consultancy Services: Professional training programmes on biological control including digital training, classroom training, and bespoke training for horticulture, sport turf, and forestry sectors. Also includes consultancy services for optimising biological pest control approaches.
4. Technology Transfer: Collaboration with third-party companies to help advance their biocontrol innovations and get them ready for commercialisation through formulation and regulatory support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bionema develops, manufactures, and supplies biological crop-protection products based on entomopathogenic nematodes, beneficial fungi, and bacteria for pest and disease management in horticulture, sport turf, forestry, and public health. The portfolio covers biopesticides (e.g., NemaTrident, UniSpore, BioLar, MetarForce), biofertilisers/biostimulants (Groprim, Bionat), biosurfactants (Soil-Jet), and adjuvants (NemaSpreader, Stiko-T, BioAd, Adhesulex), delivered alongside Bionema Academy training, technical consultancy, and technology-transfer/licensing services.

Product overview

Bionema is a biocontrol technology developer offering a portfolio of biological crop protection products and microbial-based solutions. The product portfolio includes core biopesticide products (NemaTrident, UniSpore, Biomoll, Bioba, Biofun), a patented micro-encapsulation delivery technology platform (IncapsuleX), adjuvants (NemaSpreader, Adhesulex), public health biocontrol products (BioLar, BioAd, AttraKill, AutoMont, VectoAttra), biostimulants (Groprim), and R&D programmes (BiofilmTech). The company's proprietary IncapsuleX micro-encapsulation technology underpins multiple products, solving delivery challenges for biological agents in foliar and soil applications. The technology was developed at Swansea University and commercialised through product sales and technology licensing, including a major acquisition by Syngenta in 2021.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bionat™: Biological control technology using obligate parasitic fungi for insect pest control.
• Biomoll®
• Bioba™
• Biofun™
• IncapsuleX™
• NemaCad®
• MetarForce®
• Stiko-T™
• AttraKill™
• BioLar™
• BioAd™
• AutoMont™
• VectoAttra™
• Groprim®+
• BiofilmTech®

Products and services

• NemaTrident A tri-component entomopathogenic nematode-based biopesticide for control of soil-dwelling pests such as vine weevil, chafer grubs, leatherjackets, and forestry pests (e.g., Hylobius), used in horticulture, sport turf, and forestry.
• UniSpore A bioinsecticide based on the B. bassiana 188/11 fungal strain for foliar and contact insect pest control across crops.
• IncapsuleX A micro-encapsulation technology platform that improves shelf-life, handling, and field performance of biological active ingredients; core proprietary IP of the company and basis of technology licensing deals.
• NemaSpreader An adjuvant formulated to improve the application, distribution, and survival of entomopathogenic nematodes during spray operations.
• Soil-Jet A soil surfactant/biosurfactant product that improves water penetration and distribution in soil applications, supporting nematode and biological product performance.
• BioLar A bioinsecticide targeting larval pests using biological active ingredients.
• Bionat A natural-origin bioproduct used as part of the Bionema biological portfolio (biostimulant/natural product category).
• Biofun A biofungicide for disease management, based on beneficial microbial active ingredients.
• Bioba A bacterial-based bioproduct within the Bionema biological range.
• Biomoll A biological molluscicide for slug and snail control as a non-chemical alternative to traditional metaldehyde-based products.
• MetarForce A bioinsecticide based on Metarhizium anisopliae fungal active for insect pest control.
• Stiko-T A stick-and-spread adjuvant designed to improve deposition, adhesion, and coverage of foliar spray applications.
• BioAd An adhesion adjuvant to improve spray retention and coverage on plant surfaces.
• AttraKill An attract-and-kill platform that combines an attractant with a biological active to target specific pest species.
• VectoAttra A vector-attractant product extension of the AttraKill platform targeting mosquitoes and other public-health pests.
• AutoMont An automated pest monitoring system for detecting and tracking pest pressure to support IPM decisions.
• Groprim A biostimulant / growth-promoter product supporting plant vigour and root development.
• NemaCad A nematode application card product that delivers entomopathogenic nematodes in a controlled, easy-to-handle format.
• Adhesulex An adhesion-promoting adjuvant designed to improve spray retention and performance of biological actives.
• BiofilmTech A biofilm-based formulation technology that supports colonisation and persistence of beneficial microorganisms on plant surfaces.
• Bionema Academy (Training) Structured training and education programmes (e.g., IPM and biocontrol courses) delivered to growers, turf managers, and distributor staff as a paid service.
• Bionema Consultancy & Technology Transfer Technical consultancy, technology-transfer, and licensing services covering biological product development, registration, and IP commercialisation for partners such as agrochemical majors and public-sector bodies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-30% increased efficacy with formulated accelerator compared to competitor products
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Syngenta Crop ProtectionflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2021Syngenta acquired patents and trademarks for NemaTrident® and UniSpore® bioinsecticides, acquiring full global development and commercialisation rights. This was the first acquisition of fully owned biocontrols in Syngenta Professional Solutions portfolio. Bionema retains focus on innovation while Syngenta leverages scale and reach for global distribution.
• Swansea UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBionema was spun out of Swansea University in 2012 with the university taking a 10% shareholding. The company operates from the Institute of Life Science 1 on Swansea University's Singleton campus with access to high-quality academic facilities and research environment.
• Cranfield UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating as part of JMAPP (Julian M. APP) partner programme, an open innovation initiative working with pioneering agritech businesses on research and development.
• University of BirminghamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with University of Birmingham's Engineering Department on microencapsulation technology development, applying novel technologies from other industries to biocontrol formulations.
• Knowledge Transfer NetworkminorOthersIan Tracey, Investment Advisor, worked at KTN where he helped start-up companies raise over £250 million in finance. KTN connects businesses with knowledge sources to support innovation.
• World Bioprotection ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBionema is affiliated with the World BioProtection Forum, an organization working to advance the bioprotection industry and campaign for regulatory change in the UK and EU.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Koppert Biological Systems: World-leading biocontrol company based in the Netherlands, founded 1967, offering the full range of beneficial insects, nematodes, microbial pesticides and biostimulants across horticulture and agriculture. Bionema's scientific adviser was Koppert's long-serving R&D microbial manager, making Koppert the most directly comparable global peer.
• Syngenta Professional Solutions: Global agrochemical major whose Professional Solutions division acquired Bionema's NemaTrident and UniSpore in 2021. Functions as both a key licensee and a broader biocontrol competitor with substantially greater commercial reach across crop protection markets worldwide.
• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes BioAg): Global microbial solutions platform spun out of the 2024 Novozymes-Chr. Hansen merger, with a strong biological crop protection and biofertiliser portfolio. Overlaps with Bionema on microbial inoculants, biostimulants, and biocontrol, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Lallemand Plant Care: Division of Canadian yeast specialist Lallemand focused on microbial inoculants, biostimulants and biocontrol products across agriculture and horticulture. Direct competitor in microbe-based crop inputs and adjacently competing in biofertilisers where Bionema is investing via BiofilmTech.

Direct peers

• Biobest Group: Belgian-based global biocontrol specialist combining beneficial insects, bumblebee pollination, microbial products and biopesticides across horticulture. Directly comparable to Bionema in microbial/nematode biopesticide focus and target customer base (ornamentals, greenhouse horticulture, sport turf).
• Certis Belchim (Certis Biologicals): Specialist biocontrol and biorational crop protection company formed from the merger of Certis Europe and Belchim in 2023, with a deep catalogue of microbial and botanical pesticides. Direct competitor in the European biopesticide market and a likely acquirer or licensee of biological IP from smaller players like Bionema.
• Andermatt Group: Swiss biocontrol company combining entomopathogenic nematodes, baculoviruses and beneficial insects for horticulture, agriculture and forestry. Closely matches Bionema's nematode-led approach and European distribution footprint, particularly in vine weevil and soil-dwelling pest control.
• AgBiTech: Australia- and US-based developer of baculovirus and microbial biopesticides for row crops and forestry, founded 1995. Comparable product type (microbial pesticide), comparable size profile, and active acquirer of biocontrol IP — a closer independent peer than the agrochemical majors.

Emerging players

• Vestaron Corporation: US-based peptide and microbial biopesticide developer targeting insect pests with bioinspired modes of action. Similar stage and scale to Bionema as a specialist biocontrol developer seeking to carve space against incumbents; an emerging independent peer in novel biological crop protection.

Regional players

• Russell IPM: UK-based manufacturer and supplier of pheromone, sticky trap and biocontrol solutions founded in 1985, with strong presence in protected horticulture, amenity turf and public health. Direct domestic UK competitor with overlapping sport-turf and pest-control customer base.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Bionema
• Facebookfacebook.com/bionemaltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bionema
• Instagraminstagram.com/bionemaltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bionema