Toronto-based agricultural biotechnology startup Molagri has raised $5.8 million in combined pre-seed and seed funding to develop precision biopesticides designed to target specific insect pests while reducing harm to beneficial insects. The funding includes a seed round led by Convective Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Superorganism, Robinhood Ventures, Paul Graham and other angel investors. Julian Capital led the company’s pre-seed round.
Founded by Zaky Hassan and Min Jin, researchers specializing in viral structural biology and protein biochemistry at the University of Toronto, Molagri is developing engineered virus-like particles (VLPs) that deliver genetic instructions into targeted insects. Once inside a pest, these particles are designed to cause its cells to produce an insecticidal payload, while the targeting mechanism aims to leave other insect species unaffected.
The company is addressing two challenges in crop protection: insects evolving resistance to existing pesticides and the environmental impact of broad-spectrum insecticides, which can harm pollinators and other beneficial insects. Developing replacement chemical pesticides can take years, leaving growers with fewer effective options as resistance spreads.
Molagri’s approach is designed to make pesticide development more adaptable. Its platform separates the targeting mechanism from the insecticidal payload, potentially allowing the company to modify either component as pests evolve. However, the technology remains in development, and its effectiveness, safety and performance under field conditions will need to be established through further testing. The startup is initially targeting insect pests affecting tree nuts and tree fruits, including almonds, pistachios and apples. It has secured its first grower letter of intent and is developing its initial particles for testing.
Molagri will use the new funding to expand its scientific team and accelerate research and development. The company has also moved into a Toronto laboratory with biomanufacturing and tissue-culture facilities and filed a provisional patent covering its targeted VLP delivery system. It is recruiting specialists in insect biology, virology and VLP production. The company’s longer-term ambition is to establish a modular platform for crop protection, rather than develop a separate technology from scratch for every pest. Its progress will depend on translating its biological engineering research into products that can be manufactured at scale, meet regulatory requirements and work reliably in agricultural settings.
With backing from agricultural technology investors and Y Combinator, Molagri is positioning itself to address a growing challenge for farmers: maintaining effective pest control as insects adapt and existing solutions become less reliable.
