Oxford-based agricultural biotechnology company Moa Technology has raised €25.9 million in a Series C funding round to accelerate the development of new herbicide technologies designed to address increasing weed resistance.
Funding to Support Product Development
The financing round was co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises and Supernova Invest.
New investors include Agri Investment Fund, GrainInnovate—a fund investing on behalf of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and managed by Artesian—Infinity Investment Partners, and Magdalen College, Oxford.
Existing investors Oxford Science Enterprises, Lansdowne Partners, Parkwalk, and Oxford University Innovation also participated in the round.
Founded in 2017 by Professor Liam Dolan and Dr. Clément Champion, Moa Technology was spun out of the University of Oxford to develop new approaches for discovering synthetic and biological herbicides capable of overcoming herbicide-resistant weeds.
AI-Driven Herbicide Discovery
Moa combines proprietary scientific platforms, artificial intelligence and machine learning with large datasets to identify new herbicide modes of action more efficiently than conventional discovery methods.
The company uses proprietary miniaturized plant systems to screen potential compounds at scale, aiming to accelerate the identification of new weed-control technologies.
According to Moa, repeated reliance on a limited number of herbicide modes of action over several decades has contributed to widespread resistance among weed species, reducing the effectiveness of existing crop protection products.
The company said it has identified more than 80 novel modes of action, with several of its most advanced programs demonstrating positive performance against difficult-to-control weeds during multiple seasons of international field trials.
Expanding Technology Platform
In 2025, Moa also introduced a new product category called Moa Amplifiers™, which are designed to enhance the performance of existing herbicides rather than acting as herbicides themselves.
The company said the technology has the potential to reduce the amount or concentration of herbicides required in agricultural applications.
Over the past two years, Moa has established research and development collaborations with Nufarm, Gowan, Certis Belchim, and Corteva Agriscience to develop new weed-control technologies.
The company expects to expand its portfolio through additional commercial partnerships.
Industry Support
Chief Executive Officer Dr. Virginia Corless said the financing reflects both scientific progress and commercial momentum.
“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.”
She added that participation from agricultural-focused investors strengthens the company’s connection with the farming sector.
“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.”
Martin Fiennes of Oxford Science Enterprises said the company’s technology continues to address an important need within agriculture.
“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.”
Commercialization Plans
Moa said the new capital will be used to advance its three most mature herbicide programs toward commercialization, expand its early-stage discovery pipeline, and further develop the Moa Amplifiers™ platform.
The company added that the equity financing will be complemented by upfront and milestone payments from existing and future commercial research partnerships.