Sundew

Sundew is a Dutch-Danish biotech company founded in 2018 that develops environmentally friendly solutions for aquatic pests, diseases, and invasive species, with a primary focus on the aquaculture industry. The company's flagship product, Biokos, is designed to treat ichthyophthiriasis, also known as "white spot" disease, a major parasitic infection affecting freshwater fish. Biokos utilizes a naturally occurring bacterial compound that targets the parasite without harming fish or other beneficial aquatic organisms. This lipopeptide-based treatment destabilizes the cell membranes of the parasite, making them leaky and ultimately killing the organism.

Sundew's technology platform involves optimizing the fermentation process to increase production of the active compound by the bacteria. The company has conducted extensive testing on the efficacy and safety of its product, including in vivo experiments on infected laboratory fish. In August 2020, Sundew began scaling up production at Alfa-Laval Innovation House in Søborg, Denmark, using 5,000-liter fermentation tanks for pilot production experiments.

In November 2021, Sundew acquired MicroSynbiotiX, an Irish biotech startup, in an all-share transaction. This acquisition added an algal RNA platform to Sundew's portfolio, allowing for the development of oral vaccines for fish that can be delivered through microalgae mixed with fish feed. This complementary technology aims to address viral diseases in aquaculture, such as white-spot disease in shrimp, which causes significant economic losses in the industry.

Key customers and partnerships

Sundew's initial target market is ornamental fish and aquarium enthusiasts, as the regulatory process for this sector is less stringent than for food fish. However, the company's long-term goal is to enter the aquaculture market for edible fish. Sundew has expressed particular interest in the Chinese market, which dominates global freshwater fish production.

The company has collaborated with the University of Copenhagen and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) to develop its technology. In September 2019, Sundew was selected for the StartLife Accelerate program, securing EUR 35,000 in funding with an additional EUR 50,000 in the pipeline. The company also received a grant of EUR 780,000 from the Danish government's Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP). In November 2021, Sundew raised EUR 1.4 million in equity and convertible loan funding from The Yield Lab Europe and The Danish Growth Fund (Vaekstfonden) to support its commercialization efforts.