Monarch Crops

Monarch Crops is developing a precision-based approach to protecting crops from insects using spatial repellent technology. Rather than killing pests after they arrive, the company's product is designed to prevent insects from landing on crops in the first place - an approach intended to protect crops from insects, humans from insecticide exposure, and insects from needless harm.

The technical core of the work is a predictive model built on a combined genomic, molecular and behavioural dataset. Computational chemistry and machine learning are used to identify which natural compounds trigger a 'fly away' signal in insect olfactory neurons, travelling from the antennae to the smell centre of the insect brain. The stated aim is to explore chemical data space that has not previously been explored, drawing on expertise spanning computational chemistry, machine learning, genomics, molecular biology, insect behavioural science, olfactory neuroscience and spatial repellent technology.

Monarch Crops operates in agriculture, crop protection, and food and produce. The company frames its work against several scale problems: insecticide use is estimated to kill 35 quadrillion animals a year; insecticide failure costs farmers tens of billions of dollars annually; most fruits and vegetables, including organic options, are sprayed with insecticides; and the top three insecticides used on fruits and vegetables are toxic to the human nervous system.

The team describes its focus as mission-driven, spanning the protection of crops, human health, and insects from the effects of insecticide use.