RNAi pesticides, which silence target genes in pests, can combat insects, fungi, and other pathogens without harming soil, crops, or wildlife. That profile has made them an appealing alternative to conventional chemical pesticides, which are losing effectiveness and carry environmental drawbacks.
German startup SenseUP says the remaining barriers are stability, cost, and scope of use. RNA naturally breaks down, production has been expensive, and double stranded RNA is typically tailored to individual pests, while many growers want multi-pest solutions.
According to the company, its patented approach addresses all three challenges:
- Stability: SenseUP encapsulates dsRNA inside the cell wall of host microbes based on strains of Corynebacterium, which it says enables room-temperature storage for more than 18 months in dry conditions.
- Cost: Using biosensors that illuminate in high-producing Corynebacterium strains, the team screens millions of candidates to find optimal hosts, a process it says could bring prices in line with synthetic chemicals.
- Breadth of applications: By packing multiple dsRNA sequences into a single cell, SenseUP aims to deliver one biopesticide that targets several pests at once.
Co-CEO and managing director Juan Martinez discussed the roadmap at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, outlining how the company plans to expand the use of RNAi and why he believes it is ready to move beyond a niche.
RNAi pesticides poised to scale
Martinez said he once viewed the technology as a niche, but now expects it to become mainstream. He cited three historic pain points for the sector, including high production costs, rapid degradation, and the challenge of delivering products that perform consistently outside the lab. SenseUP’s platform, he said, combines bioencapsulation for protection with cost-efficient, high-volume RNA production.
Platform, not a single product
SenseUP positions itself as a platform company spanning multiple categories. While many RNAi developers focus on insect control, Martinez said the firm has also seen strong results in fungicides. The goal is to serve agriculture broadly, including crop protection and animal health.
Those ambitions put SenseUP alongside other agtech firms pursuing biological inputs, such as companies developing next-generation biofertilizers through partnerships with majors like Bayer, as covered in AgriFood Signals reporting.
Partnership-driven commercialization
SenseUP plans to provide technology and product development, while partners handle commercialization, marketing, and sales. Martinez said the company will concentrate on manufacturing to leverage its cost efficiencies. Intellectual property arrangements depend on how early partners engage, but SenseUP expects to retain IP in most cases and to collaborate on regulatory submissions.
What industry wants to see
Large crop protection firms, said Martinez, are looking for proven field efficacy, product stability and consistency, scalable production, and a clear registration pathway. He said SenseUP has demonstrated stability and cost efficiency in trials, can scale manufacturing without heavy capital needs, and sees momentum on the regulatory front as more RNAi products gain approvals.
Initial targets and crops
Early programs focus on Coleoptera such as beetles, as well as sucking pests. On the fungicide side, the company is working on pathogens affecting crops including grapes and potatoes. Martinez added that the insect pipeline also includes broad-acreage crops, covering a wide range of pests and diseases.
Regulatory outlook for RNAi pesticides
Martinez pointed to recent registrations in the United States and rapid timelines in Mexico, where he said RNA products have been cleared in as little as nine months, and a developing route in Brazil. In Europe, he noted an emergency authorization in Belgium for an RNAi insecticide and said the European Union is updating plant protection rules to speed access for biologicals, which could provide a path for RNA. He argued that efficacy, affordability, stability, and environmental profile are aligning with regulators’ expectations.
Go-to-market focus
Biologicals typically enter high-value specialty crops first, Martinez said, because those markets are familiar with such products and have pressing needs. Even so, SenseUP is also developing solutions for broad-acreage crops and other targets with the aim of serving a wide range of farming systems.
Context noted by industry watchers includes Belgium’s 120-day emergency authorization in May 2026 for GreenLight Biosciences’ RNAi-based insecticide Calantha, which uses ledprona against Colorado potato beetle, while full European Union approval is still pending. The European Commission has also proposed updates to plant protection rules intended to accelerate access for biological products.