Viridys Bio secures pre-seed funding to develop early detection biosensors for crop stress
Viridys Bio, a UK-based ag-biotech company developing early detection biosensors for crop stress, has successfully completed the first close of its £500k pre-seed funding round.
The round is led by SFC Capital, with participation from Carbon13 and a group of angel investors. The round remains open, with approximately £130k available for a limited number of additional investors.
Founded by Stuart Dixon and Rotem Berman, Viridys Bio is building low-cost biosensor devices capable of detecting plant stress signals before symptoms become visible. The technology is designed to enable earlier, more targeted intervention in crop protection—reducing both cost and chemical usage.
Current approaches to crop protection are often reactive, with intervention occurring only after visible symptoms emerge. This can lead to inefficient use of inputs and unnecessary environmental impact. Viridys Bio's approach aims to shift this dynamic by providing growers with earlier, actionable insight into plant health.
The funding will be used to advance the development of the company's biosensor platform, including prototype design and preparation for controlled environment trials.
“Crop protection today is largely reactive. By the time issues are visible, intervention options are often more limited and more intensive. We believe earlier detection can fundamentally change that dynamic—enabling more precise, lower-impact decision making for growers. This funding allows us to take the next step towards making that a reality.”
“Viridys Bio is addressing a significant and underexplored challenge in agriculture. The team combines strong technical innovation with clear commercial potential, targeting a large and critical market. We're excited to support Stu, Rotem and the wider team as they develop their platform and move towards real-world deployment.”
“Reducing the environmental impact of agriculture is one of the defining challenges of the climate transition. Viridys Bio's approach—enabling earlier, more precise intervention—has the potential to significantly reduce unnecessary chemical use and improve system efficiency. We're delighted to support the team as they build a solution aligned with a more sustainable and resilient food system.”
