Executive Summary

Pheronym:

Pheronym is an agricultural biotechnology company developing nontoxic solutions for plant protection. We use pheromones to control the behavior and development of microscopic roundworms called nematodes. The pheromones are water soluble, which makes them suitable for seed treatment. We have two products in the pipeline; PheroCoat™ and Nemastim™. PheroCoat is a seed treatment that controls plant parasitic nematodes, which do not currently have a good solution.  Nemastim controls beneficial nematodes, soil probiotics, for insect pest control. Currently, we are negotiating greenhouse demonstrations for Nemastim to enter the greenhouse growers market.

Problem:

Without pesticides, there would be 50-80% crop loss globally, representing billions of dollars of financial loss to producers. Farmers have to use pesticides, but toxic chemical pesticides are being removed from the market. There is a clear and huge global need for safe, viable, smart alternatives to control agricultural pests.

Creative Solutions:

Nemastim™, our patented beneficial nematode conditioner, provides a safe and effective way to direct beneficial nematodes to attack target insects in a “pack,” resulting in a 78% more insect kill as compared untreated nematodes. It is also safe for non-target insects such as pollinators and leaves no harmful residue.

Pherocoat™ is a patented seed treatment that directs plant-parasitic nematodes away from healthy roots.

Products in the Pipeline:

  • Nemastim™
  • Pherocoat™
  • Pherocall™
  • Pheroterra™

Traction:

  • Multinational Ag company (prototype testing),
  • Distributors for a greenhouse grower and other specialty crops
  • Seed treatment companies

Funding:

  • Dilutive: Accelerator and Angel funding
  • Non dilutive: SBIR, other grants

Team

  • Fatma Kaplan, Ph.D. CEO/CSO; 20+ years’ experience in plant molecular stress biology, chemistry, nematodes, and natural product chemistry
  • Karl C. Schiller COO;  15+ years’ of experience in economics research, data science, and 5+ years entrepreneur

Global Market Size:

  • Global agriculture input: $234 billion
  • Crop protection/Pesticide market: $92 billion

Revenue Model: 

  • Sell Nemastim through distributors
    • Greenhouse growers
    • Fruit and nut trees
  • Sell Pherocoat B2B for specialty crop and row crops
  • Strategic partnership for further technology development and broad global commercialization

Milestones:

2025

  • Brazil patent granted to control plant parasitic nematodes

2024

  • Manufacturing: Scaled up to 5 L fermentation vessel in benchtop bioreactors
  • A second US patent granted to control plant parasitic nematodes
  • Supplement to NSF SBIR Phase II Technology Enhancement commercial partnership funding.

2023

  • NSF SBIR Phase II was awarded to scale up manufacturing.

2022

  • Demonstrated scalable manufacturing method for NSF Phase I
  • Successful field trials in pecan orchards
  • Testing the prototype with a multinational Ag company
  • Strengthening IP (To date, 5 patent families with international reach)

2021

  • Successful field trials in peach and pecan orchards
  • Secured access to facilities with bioreactors at Berkeley Lab
  • Angel funding

2020

  • 1st US patent granted
  • Established a 5-year CRADA with USDA-ARS
  • Successfully completed the Astronematode project
  • NSF SBIR Phase I awarded