Oxford Biotech Startup Raises $28M to Outsmart Herbicide-Resistant Weeds

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-24

Moa Technology, an agricultural biotech company based in Oxford, just raised a $28 million Series C round to tackle a growing threat to global food production: weeds that refuse to die. That's right, some weeds have become resistant to common herbicides, and this startup is working on a solution. ### The Funding Round The round was co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises and Supernova Invest. New investors include Agri Investment Fund, GrainInnovate (managed by Artesian), Infinity Investment Partners, and Magdalen College, Oxford. Existing backers like Lansdowne Partners, Parkwalk, and Oxford University Innovation also chipped in. 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." ### What Moa Technology Does Founded in 2017 by Professor Liam Dolan and Dr. Clement Champion, Moa spun out of Oxford University's Plant Sciences Department. The company is reinventing how synthetic and biological herbicides are discovered, specifically ones that can break weed resistance. Moa uses a combination of its own scientific platforms, proprietary data, and AI to find new ways to control weeds faster and more accurately. They work with miniaturized plants to test potential new modes of action at an unprecedented scale and speed. - **Mode of action** (MoA) simply means how a herbicide works. A novel MoA attacks weeds in a fundamentally different way, down to the cellular level. - **The problem:** Over the last 50 years, farmers have relied on the same few modes of action. Weeds adapt, just like bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. ### The Science Behind It Moa claims its platforms have already uncovered over 80 novel mode of action areas. After lab and greenhouse validation, their most advanced programs are now performing strongly in international field trials against some of the world's toughest weeds. In 2025, the company discovered a new category of products called **Moa Amplifiers**. These aren't herbicides themselves but can reduce the amount or concentration of herbicides needed to kill weeds. ### Commercial Partnerships Over the last two years, Moa has formed R&D collaborations with four leading agricultural companies: Nufarm, Gowan, Certis Belchim, and Corteva Agriscience. They're working together to develop novel solutions to help farmers protect their harvests. 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." ### Why This Matters for Farmers Weed resistance is a massive problem. In the U.S. alone, herbicide-resistant weeds cost farmers billions of dollars each year in lost yields and extra control measures. If Moa's technology works, it could mean fewer chemicals on fields and more reliable harvests. The company previously raised a $7.5 million Series A round in 2019. This new funding will help accelerate the development and commercialization of their solutions. ### The Bigger Picture This isn't just about one company. It's about the future of agriculture. As the global population grows, we need to produce more food with fewer resources. Innovative approaches like Moa's could be a key part of that puzzle. For now, the team is focused on getting their novel herbicides to market. If they succeed, we might see a new era of weed control that's both effective and sustainable.