Steve will work closely with Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bionema, Dr Minshad Ansari, who formed the business in June 2012 as a spinout from Swansea University.
Steve said: “This is a business with great potential, addressing a significant and growing need in the turf amenity, forestry and horticulture industries. With increasing regulation and growing concerns over health implications and food safety the time is perfect to bring new, innovative and effective chemical-free solutions to the market. I look forward to working with Minshad and the rest of the team as we take the business forward.”
Dr Ansari said: “Company investment has been about £2.0 million to date. We recently raised £500,000 in equity investment, led by an overseas private investor with co-investment from the Development Bank of Wales, Swansea Innovations, Swansea University, and existing investors as part of the product development (https://businessnewswales.com/swansea-university-based-biotech-company-raises-500000/). More recently the company has been awarded grant funding of £766,000 from Innovate UK to develop a novel formulation technology of biopesticide for control of major horticultural insect pests”.
Dr Ansari also said that this appointment will support the growth and development of the company as we commercialise new bio-based products which can “fill the gap” in the market.