Participated · Seed · Sep 2020

Sundew is a Dutch‑Danish biotech startup that develops environmentally benign biological products to combat aquatic pests, diseases and invasive species. The company’s pipeline includes Biokos, a natural product for parasitic white‑spot disease of freshwater fish, and it licensed technology from NIOO‑KNAW and the University of Copenhagen. Sundew acquired Irish startup MicroSynbiotiX in an all‑share transaction, adding an algal RNA platform and a patent for producing and delivering therapeutic silencing RNAs to shrimp via micro‑algal fermentation and chloroplast engineering. MicroSynbiotiX’s microalgal oral vaccine approach is designed to be fed with fishmeal, protecting vaccine payloads inside chloroplasts for stability and ease of use. The acquisition brings complementary development, production and regulatory synergies and expands Sundew’s IP and commercialization prospects. Sundew raised €1.4M in equity and convertible loan funding from The Yield Lab Europe and The Danish Growth Fund to accelerate commercialization. Sundew develops biological-technology platforms to create cost-effective, robust, and environmentally benign products for treating aquatic pests, parasites, diseases and invasive species. Its lead product targets Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis), a parasite affecting major freshwater aquaculture and ornamental species, and the company plans to bring this product to market for the ornamental sector. The company holds a worldwide exclusive license to its most advanced technology, originally developed under the EU Horizon 2020 ParaFishControl project by scientists at NIOO‑KNAW (Wageningen) and the University of Copenhagen. Sundew positions its approach as an alternative to often-toxic, non-degradable chemicals currently used in aquaculture. The team has received earlier public support for development, and the recent financing will fund the final steps to commercialize the lead product. Sundew describes addressing a large unmet need across aquaculture, agriculture-related water problems, human health, and ecological settings.