Fresh out of @ycombinator, @molagri has raised seed funding that will help it double its team (from four to eight) and put its tech to the test in field trials.
betakit.com/molagri-raises-5…
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Molagri (YC S26) retweeted
We got featured in @agfundernews! Thank you @EWatsonWrites for the writeup!
agfundernews.com/molagri-rai…
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Molagri (YC S26) retweeted
I’m super excited to announce that @molagri has raised $5.8M USD ($8.2M CAD) in pre-seed + seed funding to develop resistance-free pesticides!
Pests evolve resistance to every pesticide we throw at them, and new chemistry takes a decade to reach the field. At Molagri, we engineer insect virus-like particles to deliver programmable bio-insecticidal payloads into pests, with species level precision. Our precision biopesticides can be updated as fast as pests adapt, keeping resistant pests under control.
With that being said, we’re hiring!! Check out all roles at molagri.com/careers.
We are looking for Scientists and RAs with experience in:
→ Synthetic Virology for RNA Delivery
→ Insect Biology and Bioassays
→ Molecular Display and Binder Discovery
→ Yeast Expression and VLP Production
Read the full announcement here → molagri.com/blog/seed-round
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Molagri (YC S26) retweeted
@Molagri is expanding! We are recruiting for 3 exceptional wet lab scientists in Toronto!
Scientist/Sr. Scientist, Virology for RNA Delivery.
(130-160K CAD + 0.5-1% equity)
Scientist/Sr. Scientist, Insect Biology and Bioassays.
(130-160K CAD + 0.5-1% equity)
Sr. Research Associate, Yeast Expression and VLP production.
(85-105K CAD + 0.25-0.5% equity)
Apply here --> ycombinator.com/companies/mo…
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Molagri (YC S26) retweeted
This is one of the most exciting companies I've worked with
Zaky and team are the real deal
Molagri (@ycombinator S26) is building resistance free pesticides.
Pesticides underpin modern agriculture and food security, accounting for $80B in annual spend. Without effective pesticides, we can't grow enough food. Unfortunately, pests are developing resistance to current pesticides at a fast rate, and new pesticides aren't being developed fast enough.
Molagri is developing next-generation pesticides using engineered insect virus-like particles. We start with a virus that only infects insects, strip out its genome so it can't infect or replicate, and use the empty protein shell as a delivery vehicle.
We engineer that shell with two parts:
(1) A targeting element that recognizes a single pest species (or a set of species), which keeps the product safe for humans, pollinators, and beneficial insects. (2) A payload that kills it.
Both parts are swappable. Changing the targeting element will modify which pest it kills. Changing the payload will result in a new kill mechanism for the same pest, which is how we update the product when resistance appears.
We have signed our first grower LOI, and have more in the pipeline. We have also produced our first set of viruses for testing.
@zakyhassan and @minjinca are viral structural biology PhD lab mates from the University of Toronto who have worked on common cold coronaviruses and published in Nature Microbiology and Nature Communications. Min also holds the world record for the highest-resolution coronavirus spike structure (1.68 Å).
Learn more at molagri.com
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Molagri (@ycombinator S26) is building resistance free pesticides.
Pesticides underpin modern agriculture and food security, accounting for $80B in annual spend. Without effective pesticides, we can't grow enough food. Unfortunately, pests are developing resistance to current pesticides at a fast rate, and new pesticides aren't being developed fast enough.
Molagri is developing next-generation pesticides using engineered insect virus-like particles. We start with a virus that only infects insects, strip out its genome so it can't infect or replicate, and use the empty protein shell as a delivery vehicle.
We engineer that shell with two parts:
(1) A targeting element that recognizes a single pest species (or a set of species), which keeps the product safe for humans, pollinators, and beneficial insects. (2) A payload that kills it.
Both parts are swappable. Changing the targeting element will modify which pest it kills. Changing the payload will result in a new kill mechanism for the same pest, which is how we update the product when resistance appears.
We have signed our first grower LOI, and have more in the pipeline. We have also produced our first set of viruses for testing.
@zakyhassan and @minjinca are viral structural biology PhD lab mates from the University of Toronto who have worked on common cold coronaviruses and published in Nature Microbiology and Nature Communications. Min also holds the world record for the highest-resolution coronavirus spike structure (1.68 Å).
Learn more at molagri.com
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