Category: Press Release

Moa awarded Defra funding to accelerate blackgrass control solutions for English farmers

Oxford, UK, 28th August 2026 – Moa Technology, a leader in the discovery of next-generation crop protection products, has been awarded over £900,000 in non-dilutive funding through the Defra Farming Innovation Investor Partnership (FIIP) programme delivered in partnership with innovate UK, to advance the development of exciting new solutions for the control of blackgrass.

Blackgrass costs UK agriculture hundreds of millions of pounds annually through reduced crop yields and increased input costs, which could rise to £1 billion a year in losses if blackgrass resistance to herbicides is allowed to spread unabated, according to Rothamsted Research.  Novel mode of action herbicides are widely agreed to be the key to fighting resistance, but none have become available to English farmers in the last 35 years, leaving them with increasingly limited options for effective control.

Moa has built on breakthrough research from Oxford University to successfully identify multiple novel herbicidal modes of action capable of breaking weed resistance, several of which have already shown excellent and consistent performance in five seasons of English and international field trials.  Among them is a particularly exciting post-emergent herbicide showing strong efficacy on English blackgrass in cereal crops in glasshouse and field trials.

The new Defra funding, which has been matched by nearly two million pounds of investment from Oxford Science Enterprises, a private sector investor, will help accelerate these advanced programmes towards commercialisation, creating a portfolio of new tools for farmers which are effective, safe, affordable and sustainable.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan said:

“Blackgrass is one of the toughest challenges facing our arable farmers, reducing yields and making it harder to grow crops. That’s why we’re backing Moa Technology’s work through our Farming Innovation Investor Partnership to develop new herbicides to tackle it, alongside increasing farming innovation funding to £123 million this year.

By investing in innovation and backing the brilliant researchers and businesses developing solutions for farmers, we’re helping to build a more productive, sustainable and resilient farming sector for the future.”

Dr Virginia Corless, Chief Executive Officer of Moa Technology, said:

“Winning this funding award from the Farming Innovation Investor Partnership enables us to accelerate the development of novel herbicides which offer English farmers genuine hope in the fight to control blackgrass.  We are delighted to have received this support for our vital work and look forward to working closely with Defra, industry partners and the farming community.”

About the Farming Innovation Investor Partnership

The FIIP is delivered by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and aims to support innovative agri-food businesses developing technologies that can improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across UK agriculture.

About Moa Technology

Moa Technology’s platform has already generated one of the most advanced pipelines of novel herbicide modes of action in the industry, with multiple programmes progressing through greenhouse and field evaluation. The company, which was spun out of Oxford University in 2017 and has research facilities in Oxford and North Yorkshire, already has four R&D partnerships with leading agriculture and crop protection companies in the US, Europe and Australia.   Moa recently secured a £22.2 million Series C financing round to support the next stage of its growth.

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Moa Technology (“Moa”), an agricultural biotechnology company focused on discovering novel mode of action herbicides, announces a £22.2 million Series C financing round, co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises (“OSE”) and Supernova Invest (“Supernova”).

Joining Supernova as new investors in Moa are Agri Investment Fund (“AIF”); GrainInnovate, a fund investing on behalf of the Grain Research Development Corporation (“GRDC”) and managed by Artesian; Infinity Investment Partners; and Magdalen College Oxford.  The round has also been supported by existing investors OSE, Lansdowne Partners, Parkwalk, and Oxford University Innovation.

This new investment reflects the proven strength of Moa’s IP and the progress it has made to become the innovation partner of choice for the crop protection industry.   In the last 24 months, Moa has formed R&D collaborations with four leading companies  – Nufarm, Gowan, Certis Belchim and Corteva Agriscience – to develop different novel solutions to help farmers protect their harvests from crop-killing weeds, and expects to continue to sign further commercial research partnerships.

In a major breakthrough for the industry, Moa’s proprietary technology platforms have already discovered over 80 novel mode of action areas, which work in completely different ways to control weeds and break resistance.  After successful validation in the lab and glasshouse, Moa’s most advanced novel mode of action programmes are performing strongly to control some of the world’s toughest weeds in successive seasons of international field trials.  In 2025, the company discovered a new category of products – Moa Amplifiers^TM – which are not herbicidal on their own but have the potential to reduce the amount or concentration of herbicides required, supporting productivity and environmental stewardship.

The Series C funding will enable Moa to bring its three most advanced programmes significantly closer to commercialisation, to build its pipeline of early-stage novel mode of action herbicides and to further develop the Moa Amplifiers programme.  The new equity investment will be supplemented by upfront and milestone payments from current and future industry partners working with Moa.

Martin Fiennes of Oxford Science Enterprises said: “When we helped spin Moa out from the University of Oxford’s Plant Sciences Department in 2017, we saw that its technology platform had a unique and important approach to address the market’s need for herbicides capable of breaking weed resistance.  The success of the platform’s discoveries since in the lab and field trials has confirmed Moa is on track to provide the new solutions farmers need to sustain agricultural productivity, and we’re delighted to be supporting the company again in this fundraising round.

Alexandre Biau of Supernova Invest said “Weed resistance continues to spread. It is causing increasing yield losses, further undermining the resilience of farming operations, while climate change is expected to make weed control even more challenging. In response, the Moa team is redefining the innovation playbook for weed control by advancing both novel modes of action and its Moa Amplifiers strategy, expanding the toolbox available to farmers. Building on the company’s strong momentum and proven ability to execute, Supernova Invest is proud to support Moa’s journey to market.“

Dr Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology said:  “This marks a major milestone for Moa Technology – a validation of the outstanding progress we have made not just in the laboratory, but also in striking commercial deals with leading industry partners around the world.   We are particularly pleased that, through AIF in Europe and GrainInnovate in Australia, the farming sector itself is closely connected to the next phase of Moa’s development, helping accelerate delivery of our solutions to the fields where they are so urgently needed.”

About Moa Technology:

Spun out of Oxford University in 2017, Moa Technology aims to help farmers sustainably protect their harvests from crop-killing weeds and ensure food security for all. The company’s proprietary GALAXY platform has screened over 900,000 compounds and discovered more than 80 promising novel mode of action areas, capable of breaking weed resistance to existing herbicides. Since June 2024, Moa has entered into ongoing commercial collaborations with Certis Belchim in the Netherlands and Gowan Company in the US, a major R&D partnership with Nufarm which recently moved into its next stage of development, and in July 2026, a new R&D collaboration with Corteva Agriscience.

Contact

Media
Alexandra Ranson, Head of Corporate Affairs, Moa Technology

+44 7946 283956 Alexandra.ranson@moa-technology.com

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Moa Technology and Corteva collaborate to accelerate discovery of novel herbicides

OXFORD, UK – 7 July 2026 – Moa Technology today announce a multi-year R&D platform collaboration with Corteva, a global agriculture technology leader, focused on advancing the discovery of novel herbicide solutions to address increasingly complex weed management challenges for farmers. The collaboration will deploy Moa’s proprietary discovery platforms with Corteva’s deep herbicide R&D expertise to accelerate the identification of novel modes of action for weed control solutions.

“Moa’s core strength is discovering genuinely novel tools to tackle rapidly evolving, yield-damaging weed threats,” said Dr Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology. “We’re delighted to be working with Corteva on this project. The more commercial research collaborations we undertake with industry-leading companies, the faster we can accelerate delivery of safe, effective and affordable new solutions to farmers’ fields.”

“We’re excited to collaborate with Moa to advance the discovery of novel modes of action,” said Ashish Batra, vice president of crop health research and development for Corteva. “By combining complementary strengths, we aim to leverage Moa’s new approaches in herbicide discovery, and are focused on addressing the evolving challenges farmers face from weed resistance.”

Since Moa was spun out of Oxford University in 2017, its proprietary technology has discovered a new generation of synthetic and bio-herbicidal compounds based on novel modes of action capable of breaking weed resistance. This partnership is Moa’s fourth major industry collaboration signed in the last two years.

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About Moa Technology

In the last three years, Moa’s platforms have screened over 850,000 compounds and discovered more than 80 promising novel mode of action areas to help farmers fight the rising threat of weed resistance.   Its most advanced discoveries are now in their fifth season of international field trials, showing strong and consistent efficacy against some of the world’s toughest agricultural weeds.

The collaboration with Corteva is the fourth major deal Moa has signed since July 2024, following value-sharing deals with Netherlands-based Certis Belchim and US-based Gowan Company, and a major R&D partnership with Nufarm which has recently moved into its next stage of development.

Moa Technology and Certis Belchim announce strategic collaboration for new Moa Amplifier™

Oxford, UK & Utrecht, Netherlands – 8 January 2026

Moa Technology and Certis Belchim are delighted to announce a new strategic collaboration, marking a significant step forward in the development of next-generation herbicide Moa Amplifier TM solutions for global agriculture.

This partnership brings together Moa Technology’s breakthrough discovery platforms, which have identified over 80 new herbicidal modes of action in the past three years, with Certis Belchim’s deep expertise in product development, registration and marketing for sustainable crop protection globally. Together, the companies will co-develop a novel Moa amplifier molecule for a specific active ingredient, aiming to help farmers protect their harvests more safely, sustainably, and effectively.
Moa Amplifier molecules, a new class first disclosed by Moa Technology in August 2025, are non-herbicidal on their own but have the potential to reduce the amount or concentration of herbicides required, supporting both productivity and environmental stewardship.

Leveraging its proprietary Moa Gamma™ platform, Moa has already identified hundreds of these novel, non-herbicidal compounds that function as powerful amplifiers, which the company has now started to design and develop alongside commercial partners, such as Certis Belchim.

Certis Belchim bridges the gap between science and agriculture, connecting research-driven innovation with real-world agricultural solutions for growers worldwide. By combining best-in-class technical and product knowledge with a clear understanding of the challenges customers face, cutting-edge research is transformed into practical, effective tools that empower farmers to succeed. Through close collaboration with growers and partners, the company drives progress towards a more sustainable future for global agriculture.

Leadership perspectives

Mark Waltham, CEO of Certis Belchim, added:
“We are very excited to be working with Moa for the development of herbicide amplifiers. The current discovery and regulatory challenges faced by our industry are a real threat to the toolbox of herbicides available to farmers now and in the future. Not only can Moa Amplifier technology help offset that risk, but it may also potentially expand the number of herbicides available to farmers globally. Both Moa’s technology and its ways of working fit very well with Certis Belchim, and we look forward to expanding this collaboration.”

Dr Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology, commented:
“We are really looking forward to co-developing a Moa Amplifer with the team at Certis Belchim, who have shown real passion and commitment towards innovating for their customers. This agreement is further evidence of the industry demand for our world-leading herbicide discovery platforms, with Certis Belchim the third major industry partner to partner with Moa Technology in 18 months.”

About Moa Technology
Spun out of Oxford University in 2017, Moa Technology has developed proprietary technology to discover a new generation of synthetic and bio-herbicidal compounds based on novel modes of action. The company’s platform has screened over 830,000 compounds and discovered more than 80 promising novel mode of action areas, providing farmers with safe, cost-effective, and technologically advanced solutions. The collaboration with Certis Belchim is the third major deal Moa has signed since July 2024, following a value-sharing deal with US-based Gowan Company, and a major R&D partnership with Nufarm which has recently moved into its next stage of development.

About Certis Belchim
Certis Belchim B.V., a major force in crop protection, offers expertise in product development, registration and marketing and best-in-class technical and product knowledge. With unique access to innovative technologies, including those from its Japanese shareholders and additional strategic suppliers, as well as proprietary and Mitsui & Co. Group products, Certis Belchim has a leading pipeline and portfolio, including a broad and market-leading range of biological products. It has strong foundations and an established footprint throughout Europe, dynamic and growing platforms in North America and expanding opportunities with partners in Africa, South America and Asia.
Certis Belchim aims to help its customers and suppliers develop innovative products and programs designed to protect crops around the world, meeting the needs of growers as they face the challenges of sustainable crop production.

For further information, please contact:
Alexandra Ranson, Head of Corporate Affairs, Moa Technology
Alexandra.ranson@moa-technology.com | +44 7946 283956
Or:
Kevin Price, Head of Corporate Affairs, Certis Belchim
Kevin.Price@certisbelchim.com +44 7900 276216
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