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Oxford-based agricultural biotechnology company Moa Technology has raised £22.2 million in a Series C financing round to advance its pipeline of herbicide technologies.

The round was co-led by Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) and Supernova Invest. New investors included Agri Investment Fund, GrainInnovate, Infinity Investment Partners and Magdalen College Oxford, alongside existing backers Lansdowne Partners, Parkwalk and Oxford University Innovation.

Moa will use the funding to move its three most advanced programmes closer to commercialisation, expand its early-stage pipeline of herbicides with novel modes of action and further develop its Moa Amplifiers technology.

Moa Amplifiers, discovered by the company in 2025, are not designed to act as herbicides independently. Instead, they could reduce the quantity or concentration of herbicides required to control weeds, potentially supporting agricultural productivity while lowering environmental impact.

The company’s proprietary discovery platforms have identified more than 80 areas associated with potential new modes of action, which aim to control weeds in different ways and address rising resistance to existing herbicides. Its most advanced programmes have progressed from laboratory and glasshouse validation to international field trials targeting some of the world’s most difficult weeds.

Over the past two years, Moa has also established research and development partnerships with Nufarm, Gowan, Certis Belchim and Corteva Agriscience. Payments from current and future commercial partners will supplement the new equity investment.

Virginia Corless, CEO of Moa Technology, described the funding as a “major milestone” that recognised both the company’s scientific progress and its commercial agreements with crop-protection businesses.