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Unibaio
Less toxic chemicals in pesticide formulations
Founded
2021
Employees*
8
Funding to Date*
$1,125,000
Website
www.unibaio.com
* Data source: Crunchbase
Matias Figliozzi, co-founder and CEO of Unibaio
“Our goal is to transition agriculture away from chemicals that degrade our soils and health towards biological alternatives that could sustainably feed billions of people, without causing harmful side effects. Our biotechnology is both capable of reducing chemical use in current practices and enabling a new generation of biologicals that improve yields and crop resilience far better than their synthetic predecessors.”
An EU study conducted between 2014 and 2021 in five European countries found at least two pesticides present in the bodies of 84% of the survey participants. However, an EU initiative to reduce pesticide use 50% by 2030 could lead to double-digit declines in crop yields.

Farmers spend nearly $230 billion every year on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers designed to increase crop yields. However, most of these chemicals are leached into the environment rather than absorbed by crops, causing pest resistance to biocides, biodiversity loss, and a litany of public health impacts. Somehow, the world needs to wind down agrochemical use while expanding food production to feed an additional 1.7 billion people by 2050.

Unibaio has developed a natural microparticle that can supercharge biological crop protectants by enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently. Unibaio’s tech can also be used to reduce the amount of conventional chemical products needed by up to 80% while retaining their full impact on crop yields. Whether they make biological or synthetic crop protectants, manufacturers can mix Unibaio particles into their products to improve their margins and minimize harmful runoff.

Unibaio was co-founded by Claudia Casalongué, PhD, economist Matias Figliozzi, and Vera Alvarez, PhD. Their team of five has nearly 100 years of combined experience in crop biology and material sciences. Currently, they are running pilot programs with a top fertilizer manufacturer and a company pioneering biological herbicides. Unibaio is proving that the world can grow enough nutritious food for billions of people without compromising human and environmental health.