Pheronym®

The IndieBio accelerator experience made us realize that the accelerators have a unique function as a catalyst to bring the barriers down for biotech startups. Briefly, accelerators are short-term programs that can provide funds (very important), a network of investors, customers, business mentors and many other intangible perks. Furthermore, it can synergize with the other startup programs such as incubators and mentorship programs. Accelerator networks and support can last long after the program is over. Surprisingly, no two accelerators are alike. The ones we have participated in and the ones we plan to participate in are quite different. The way they are run, the things they offer, and the stages they support are all different. For example, IndieBio accelerator (San Francisco, CA) was the first accelerator we participated in while we were at the UF Innovate the HUB. It was a 4.5-month seed stage accelerator program with a wet lab space, science and business mentors, and $250K investment funding. At the end of the program, there was a highly publicized pitch event. For us, the accelerator lab space and funding synergized with the USDA-SBIR Phase I to develop our first dispersal pheromone prototype (NemaStim) and conduct proof of concept trials.

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Sacramento Region Innovation Awards Names 2018 Finalists – Winners Revealed November 1

Pheronym is one of the 3 finalists in the Food and Agriculture area.

Twenty-one FINALISTS have been named in the third annual SACRAMENTO REGION INNOVATION AWARDS.

Join the celebration! WINNERS will be revealed during the AWARDS LUNCHEON on Thursday, November 1, 2018, at the Hilton Sacramento Arden West. Tickets, tables, and sponsorships are now available. Early bird discounts end Oct 10th. REGISTER HERE

Learn about the 2018 FINALISTS here: http://bit.ly/2DeI8hX

A special “Innovation of the Year” award for Wide Open Walls — a Sacramento-based arts and mural festival founded by David Sobon in 2015 — will spotlight innovation beyond business and technology and recognize the important link between cultural values and thriving economic markets. Past recipients honored for having a broad and profound impact on the greater Sacramento innovation community include Golden 1 Center and the University of California, Davis. Keep reading

Pheronym is honored to have an “Innovator Spotlight” interview with Leanna Sweha at THE VINE ag-network.

Nematode pheromones:  Pheronym founders told Leanna about our technology, the science behind, where we are in our product development, why we are pursuing it, and how the California startup ecosystem helps us to move forward. Keep reading

FoodBytes! by Rabobank, the next-generation food and agriculture pitch competition-meets-networking platform, has unveiled the twenty startups selected for FoodBytes! NYC. The competition returns to NYC for the third time on October 18.

Pheronym is one of them. Keep reading

“Leading Agri-Tech Innovators

The event will showcase the very best agri-tech innovations across all areas of the industry including seed treatments, virtual fencing and pesticide-free farming.”

“The USA contenders are sure to capture the visitors’ attention with their innovators, some of which include: ”

Pheronym is one of them.  Keep reading

Creative companies and minds are set to come together next month, bringing new global solutions to the stage at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit from 16-17 October in London.

Pheronym is one of the 13 companies to present at the World Agri-tech summit. Keep reading.

The federal government is supporting the groundbreaking work of another biotech startup in Alachua County.

The USDA has awarded a $500,000 grant to Pheronym, which works out of the Sid Martin Biotech Incubator.

Watch the news on WCJB TV20

 

Thank you Tim Hammerich for hosting us on Future of Agriculture Podcast and the opportunity to talk about the science behind our nematode bioremediation technology and cost-effective environmentally friendly pest control for farmers.

FOA115: Microscopic Biological Pest Wars with Fatma Kaplan and Cameron Schiller of Pheronym

To listen to the Future of the Agriculture Podcast, click on the link.

 

Grant will expand the use of company’s

breakthrough nematode bio-remediation technology

DAVIS, California, and ALACHUA, Florida, August 21, 2018 – Pheronym, a bio-ag-tech pest control company, has been awarded a $500,000 USDA-AFRI (United States Department of Agriculture – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) multi-institutional research grant to expand its breakthrough insect control and nematode bio-remediation technology to other nematode species.

“The grant is further validation that our approach to bio-remediation is a serious, science-based effort towards pesticide-free pest control,” said Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO of Pheronym and Co-Project Director. “It’s another positive step to broad commercialization of our technology and Nemastim™ product offering. “

Pheronym uses its proprietary pheromones to control entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs or beneficial nematodes) for insect pest control and plant-parasitic nematodes, providing farmers with more cost-effective and environmentally friendly pest control.

“I have conducted research on EPNs for over 20 years. Using Pheronym’s chemical signals to enhance nematode dispersal—leading to increased infection in insects—is an extremely exciting concept. I feel it has exceptional promise that we will explore for greatly improving EPNs’ efficacy,” said USDA-ARS partner Dr. David Shapiro-Ilan and Project Director for the grant.

About Pheronym: Pheronym is an ag-biotech pest control company which enables pesticide-free farming, based in ALACHUA, Florida and DAVIS, California.  The company’s bio-remediation process uses a new pheromone to control plant-parasitic nematodes (microscopic roundworms) in an eco-friendly way and also beneficial nematodes’ efficacy to eliminate pest insects.  Learn more at http://www.pheronym.com.

We are very honored to be a featured speaker at the Inaugural UF-A2i  Symposium by Center for Stress Resilient Agriculture at the Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center, Gainesville, FL.

My talk about “Working for startups” at 3 PM on August 15.  I had a very enthusiastic group of students and postdocs who had many questions about startups.

Pheronym CEO, Dr. Kaplan, and Lab Manager, Ms. Gentil-Perret, at the A2i Symposium at UF.