Our Companies
BioArmix Ltd. is tackling, for the first time, one of the most urgent challenges in agriculture – bacterial plant pathogens for which there are NO readily available solutions.
BioArmix’s technological platform draws inspiration from nature’s existing predatory bacteria and harnesses them into a scalable solution. Our proprietary encapsulation process allows storing the predators as dry powder at room temperature for several years while preserving them in a fully active form.
BioArmix’s first prototype-ready application is oriented toward protecting agricultural produce, starting with potatoes, the fifth most important crop in the world.
The Need
FAO reports that up to 40% of global crops are lost each year to plant disease and insects, a staggering annual loss of $220B in crop yield, with bacteria being the major contributor.
Potatoes, for example, the fifth most important crop globally, lose ~30% annually, approximately 79 million tonnes, to bacterial diseases due to the absence of biocontrol agents. The same figures apply to many other crops.
Traditional methods for monitoring and mitigating bacterial disease outbreaks in agriculture are not only inefficient but also environmentally harmful and costly. Chemicals like sodium hypochlorite are extensively used, contributing to pollution and negatively impacting ecosystems.
BioArmix Ltd. innovative technology addresses a critical challenge in the global potato production industry, significantly contributing to Climate Change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
BioArmix’s Solution
BioArmix Ltd. draws inspiration from nature’s existing predatory bacteria and harnesses them into a scalable Agtech solution. They are able to store the predatory bacteria in the form of dry powder at room temperature for several years while preserving them in a fully active form. This innovative approach enables, for the first time, confronting pathogens that currently lack effective countermeasures cost-effectively, sustainably, and without any fear of pathogenic bacteria developing resistance.
BioArmix Ltd.’s first prototype-ready application is oriented toward protecting potato crops from Pectobacterium and Dickeya pectinolytic bacteria, which cause destructive macerating diseases such as soft rot, black leg, and aerial stem rot.
BioArmix aims to revolutionize plant protection, minimizing losses and concurrently promoting environmental sustainability.BioArmix envisions its potential application in many other crops, such as but not just ginger, sweet potato, carrot, maize, and tomato, and even beyond its current application in agriculture.
Prof. Amos Nussinovitch, Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
Prof. Nussinovitch is a world-renowned expert in physics and food technology, particularly in the industrial utilization of natural-source polymers. In addition to his distinguished academic career, he has accumulated over 15 years of experience in tech transfer, establishing companies, and consulting for diverse sectors in the biotechnology industry.
Tzvi Zvirin, Ph.D., Co-founder & CEO
Dr. Zvirin brings over 15 years of experience in the biotech industry. As an entrepreneur, Tzvi has successfully developed technologies from inception to realization. Tzvi has worked closely with startups, assisting in business model development, go-to-market strategies, and fundraising. Previously, Tzvi served as the VP of BizDev at BioBetter Ltd.
Prof. Edouard Jurkevitch, Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
Prof. Jurkevitch is a world-leading expert in microbial ecology, particularly in BALOs’. He specializes in unraveling the molecular mechanisms of predatory bacteria. Additionally, he’s a renowned authority on symbiotic relationships between bacteria and agricultural pests and molecular profiling of soil bacteria for forensic purposes.
Gal Sason, Ph.D., Co-founder & R&D Manager
Dr. Sason played a pivotal role in leading the development of our technology from its inception to achieving an exceptional POC. She brings extensive expertise in microbiology, predatory bacteria, and various types of hydrocolloids, gels, and polymer carriers to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and develop innovative food products and carriers for different agricultural applications.
The Market Opportunity
Our technology has the potential to significantly impact the potato industry by reducing the annual loss of 79 million tonnes due to disease, translating to approximately a $20.2 billion market share. With an estimated x7 return on investment per hectare and the ability to generate approximately 30% more produce from the same resources, our solution promises remarkable economic, social, and environmental benefits. Market opportunity beyond the potatoes is much broader, as FAO estimates the annual loss in agriculture to be $220 billion in 2021 and growing with bacterial pathogens driven loss being a major player.
