Bianca Forte

Business Development Director & Executive Director at SugaROx Ltd

Speaker

Bianca is a business executive with more than 20 years’ experience brokering collaborations between global corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and academic scientists across the agri-tech sector. She has helped secure more than £40 million in non-dilutive grants and private investment for open-innovation projects and new ventures.

She holds a degree in Biosciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, an MSc in Environmental Management for Business from Cranfield University and an MBA in Agribusiness from the University of São Paulo.

A strong advocate for translating science into real-world impact, Bianca worked with SugaROx co-founder Dr Cara Griffiths in 2020 to secure the initial funding needed to launch the venture. A spin-out from the University of Oxford and Rothamsted Research, SugaROx is developing a platform technology that chemically cages natural plant molecules, enabling their effective delivery inside cells through external applications such as foliar sprays or seed coatings.

As Business Development Director at SugaROx, Bianca leads collaborations with prospective go-to-market partners to accelerate product development and commercialisation. She also works alongside the company’s CEO and CTO to secure public and private funding to grow the business.