Hedera-22, a ULiege spin-off at the forefront of sustainable agriculture, has raised approximately €2 million in funding to develop an intelligent platform for discovering novel biomolecules with biopesticide properties.
This funding, which comes from subsidies from the Walloon Region together with a capital increase from its partners Aravis, Gesval, Noshaq, and K&E, is a part of the ambitious biomolecule discovery effort to support the European Farm2Fork project, which aims to reduce chemical pesticides by 2030.
Hedera-22 will use the fresh funds to position itself as a global leader in the discovery of novel natural compounds with bio-pesticidal activity and to make a significant contribution to scientific advancement in this field by strengthening its team of experts, expanding its research and development efforts, and developing its bioinformatics tools.
In 2015, the founders of Hedera-22, inspired by bioinformatics’ potential to understand the biomolecular mechanisms of soil bacteria producing active compounds, established the company.
Over time, the business became an expert in providing bioinformatics services and later in finding novel proteins with biopesticide properties. Noshaq and K&E bv (Globachem) joined the ownership structure, and the team launched initiatives to prove the practicality of its technological solution, signaling this change. Moreover, Hedera-22 initiated the Ab-Initio project in 2023, marking a new phase of its development.
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The foundation of this project is the development of a sophisticated platform for the discovery of natural products that combine state-of-the-art molecular biology technology with exclusive machine learning-based predictive bioinformatics capabilities. This novel strategy seeks to increase the yield, diversity, and maturity of compounds found while streamlining the discovery process.
Valérie Renard, CEO of Hedera-22, commented:
“Hedera-22 can amass a sizable library of molecules with the Ab-Initio platform, and the first version will be made accessible in early 2026. Moreover, these molecules will be made available to players in the protection industry. Consequently, this program offers bio-protection companies cutting-edge, eco-friendly crop protection products while opening up a plethora of licensing and cooperation opportunities. We are happy to report that, with the recent filing of a patent for our novel prediction method, we have already achieved great progress on this project.”
Éric Brandt, Investment Manager for Noshaq, commented:
“Noshaq enthusiastically supports Hedera-22’s efforts to create novel biomolecules. Owing to its unwaveringly inventive methodology, the enterprise is effectively addressing numerous obstacles confronting the agro-industrial sector. The AB-Initio project is demonstrating remarkable outcomes that are quickly exploitable.”
