Bionema was established in 2012 and is based at Swansea University. 

The company specialises in the development of novel biopesticide products and technology that provide safe, chemical-free solutions for crop protection at a fraction of the cost of developing traditional pesticides. The products use existing natural micro-organisms (nematodes, fungi, and bacteria) that exist in soil. 

Bionema focuses on delivering novel bioinsecticide technologies as an alternative to chemical pesticides, which deliver higher efficacy and lower production cost, benefitting both producers and consumers. The company’s product portfolio includes a unique technology offering to fill the gap in the horticulture, turf amenity and forestry markets. 

Bionema was awarded £1.1 million grant funding by Wales Government and Innovate UK, and subsequently raised £0.7 million in equity investment. It has since developed more than 12 products for the UK and EU market.

The team has a wealth of expertise from the academic, commercial, technical, and financial fields, and moved to Swansea University’s campus in 2014 to grow and expand its offering in domestic and international markets.

“The support from the the University has been invaluable on our journey… Bionema has made remarkable progress, and I attribute a portion of our success to the Uni for generously providing us with office and lab space, enabling us to conduct groundbreaking research.” – Dr Minshad Ansari, CEO & Founder of Bionema Group

Since Bionema’s collaboration with Swansea University began in 2014, Bionema has secured over £2 million in grant funding. The company has continued to advance its pioneering technology to address worldwide challenges in sustainable agriculture. Currently, Bionema operates in the UK and expending its market presence in Canada, US and LATAM countries and registering novel bioinsecticide products in Canada, US, New Zealand, Australia, UK and EU. 

As part of its growth strategy, Bionema is actively raising a series A round of £5 million in investment. This funding will accelerate the approval and market launch of three bioinsecticides and the microencapsulation platform technology on a global scale.