The Venture Codex

Participated · Seed · Dec 2020

Botanical Solution (BSI) uses a proprietary tissue-culture R&D platform to produce Advanced Botanical Materials (ABM), including ABM-01 derived from Quillaja saponaria. Its core product focus is pharmaceutical-grade QS-21, a vaccine adjuvant used in FDA-approved vaccines for shingles and RSV, and a biopesticide product branded Quillibrium®. BSI’s lab-based cultivation method is designed to be more sustainable and cost-effective than extracting QS-21 from tree bark, avoiding deforestation and ensuring steady supply. The company plans to commence in-house GMP production of QS-21 and expand its R&D labs in Davis, California to support quality and scale. BSI has announced a key partnership with Croda Pharma around the QS-21 adjuvant and expects larger production to open additional opportunities for vaccine developers. The company is incorporated in Delaware and is targeting both human pharmaceutical and agricultural markets. The Series A financing now totals $23.3 million, which the company says will fund production scale-up and R&D expansion. BSI positions itself to benefit from a large botanical ingredients market projected in the article. Botanical Solution Inc. is a Delaware corporation with a proprietary platform for sustainable, consistent production of Advanced Botanical Materials (ABM). ABM‑01, derived from Quillaja saponaria, is the company's first product and is the active ingredient in its Quillibrium® biopesticide and the vaccine adjuvant QS‑21 used in shingles, RSV, and malaria vaccines. The company has established commercial and development partnerships—including Syngenta since 2019 and a recent collaboration with Croda—to scale agricultural adoption and GMP production of pharma‑spec QS‑21. The Syngenta partnership has produced over 50% year‑over‑year growth in effective growers' adoption and has treated over 100,000 acres to date. Botanical Solution recently secured an additional $7 million, bringing its Series A funding to more than $13 million, to build a sustainable supply chain for QS‑21 and expand agricultural rollouts. BSI is on track to begin delivering GMP materials for human vaccine development later in the year. Botanical Solution (BSI) develops sustainable, consistent Advanced Botanical Materials (ABM) derived from tissue-cultured Quillaja saponaria for agricultural and pharmaceutical uses. Its first ABM product, ABM-01, is the active ingredient in the biopesticide Quillibrium® and in the gold-standard vaccine adjuvant QS-21. BSI markets agricultural products including BotriStop® and Quillibrium®, which has been used across Chile, launched in Peru, and is set to reach Mexican growers via distribution partner Syngenta. The company is progressing regulatory registration in the U.S. and additional countries to expand its global footprint. New funding will support geographic expansion, commercialization scale-up, market readiness of additional biopesticide products in late development, and expansion of BSI’s R&D pipeline. For pharmaceuticals, the financing will increase cultivated Quillaja saponaria supply to sustainably produce billions of doses of pharmaceutical-grade QS-21 and position BSI as a major supplier. Botanical Solution Inc. (BSI) is a Davis, California–based Delaware corporation that develops sustainable, highly consistent and cost‑effective advanced botanical materials using a proprietary biotechnology platform. Its first commercial product is BotriStop®, a biofungicide derived from Quillaja saponaria, sold initially in Chile through distribution partner Syngenta. BSI's platform enables in‑lab growth of Quillaja saponaria and aims to eliminate supply and quality barriers that have prevented traditional botanicals from becoming commercially successful. The company also plans to produce pharmaceutical‑grade QS‑21 adjuvant at scale—claiming capacity to supply billions of doses without harming trees—to address shortages affecting Covid‑19 and other vaccines. BSI raised $3.3 million in a seed round to support BotriStop production and sales growth in Chile and expects regulatory progress and registrations in key Latin American markets, the U.S., and the E.U. during 2021. The company is planning a second round of funding in Spring 2021 to further boost discovery, development and commercialization of its botanical products.