SenseUP, a German startup developing RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticides, says its bio-encapsulation platform can keep double-stranded RNA stable for more than 18 months at room temperature in dry conditions — a claim that, if it holds at commercial scale, would undercut one of RNAi agriculture's biggest commercial hurdles.

The company encapsulates dsRNA inside the cell wall of Corynebacterium microbes and uses biosensors to screen millions of candidate strains, co-CEO and managing director Juan Martinez told AgFunderNews at the World Agri-Tech innovation summit in London.

"We are not a one product company, and not just an insecticide company," Martinez said. "What we are delivering is not just one product or even one category, but a platform for agriculture, for crop protection and animal health."

What does the technology claim to fix?

Martinez identified three persistent obstacles for RNAi developers: production cost, RNA stability, and field delivery. SenseUP's encapsulation, he said, addresses all three in a single step. The shelf-life figure is unverified outside SenseUP's own data, and biosensor-driven strain screening is not unique — Renaissance Bioscience and Molagri are pursuing comparable routes with different chassis organisms.

• Stability: dsRNA stored inside microbial cell walls, claimed shelf life 18+ months at room temperature.
• Cost: biosensor screening flags high-yield Corynebacterium strains; Martinez says output can compete with synthetic chemistry on price.
• Breadth: combining multiple dsRNA sequences in one cell lets a single product target several pests.

SenseUP has not disclosed manufacturing throughput, unit economics, or field trial yield data publicly.

What are crop protection buyers demanding?

Martinez said large agrochemical companies evaluate RNAi partners on four criteria before signing commercial deals: field trial efficacy, product stability and consistency, production scalability, and a clear registration path. "We have a technology that doesn't require a lot of capex," Martinez said, arguing SenseUP clears the first three.

No public capex figure, partner name, or contracted volume has appeared in any filing or press release reviewed.

Where is the regulatory door opening?

Martinez pointed to recent approvals as evidence RNAi regulators are moving faster than skeptics expect:

• Biopesticide registrations already issued in the United States.
• An RNAi product approved in Mexico in nine months, according to Martinez.
• Belgium granted a 120-day emergency authorization in May 2026 to GreenLight Biosciences' Calantha (ledprena) for Colorado potato beetle.
• The European Commission proposed changes to EU plant protection legislation in September 2026 intended to streamline market access for biologicals.

Full EU approval for Calantha remains outstanding, and the Commission's proposal still needs Parliament and Council sign-off. European timelines are firm in intention only.

What crops and pests are first in line?

SenseUP is working on Coleoptera (beetles) and sucking pests, with fungicide applications aimed at grapes and potatoes, Martinez said. The company is also developing products for broad-acreage crops, though it has not named launch years or commercial partners.

Its business model is to license technology and product development to larger partners rather than commercialize directly — a structure that keeps SenseUP off the retailer-facing balance sheet but also cedes pricing control.

What is the commercial sweet spot?

High-value horticulture first, broad-acre row crops later, Martinez said — a sequencing that mirrors the biologicals market generally. Grape and potato growers already pay for biocontrol products, making them the logical entry point before row-crop margins force RNAi into a price fight with established synthetics.

Whether that price gap actually closes depends on manufacturing yield at commercial scale, a number SenseUP has not yet published.

Bottom line: the shelf-life and registration numbers are the ones to watch — if a third party replicates the 18-month stability claim and an EU RNAi product clears full approval, niche stops being the right word.