ACX

What do they actually do

ACX is an early, research‑stage biotech developing targeted biocides inspired by compounds that bacteria naturally use to kill microbes. Today they have lab‑validated molecules and prototype formulations with in‑vitro data showing inhibition and specificity against target pathogens; they have not announced field trials, regulatory filings, or paying customers yet (YC profile • company site • science page). The company was incorporated in the UK in 2024 and is led by co‑founders Emmanouela and Melina Petsolari (Companies House • YC profile).

Day‑to‑day, the team identifies and reproduces microbicidal bacterial compounds, runs in‑vitro assays, and formulates candidates (including nanoparticle delivery) while optimizing for safety and manufacturability; current pipeline names include FM‑Pro (biofungicide), IX‑Pro (insecticide), and Verda‑Max (greenhouse pest product) (science page • YC launch). Public funding signals point to a small pre‑seed/YC round consistent with technical validation rather than commercial scale‑up (Crunchbase).

Who are their target customer(s)

• Large agrochemical or crop‑input companies: Need novel, scalable modes of action to replace failing chemistries and meet lower‑toxicity demands, plus partners who can de‑risk early R&D and help with regulatory and manufacturing scale‑up (science page • YC profile).
• Specialty greenhouse and high‑value horticulture growers: Frequent pest pressure in enclosed systems with limited safe options; they need specific, low‑toxicity products that work without harming beneficials or forcing long shutdowns, but current choices are limited or harsh (science page).
• Row‑crop farmers and agronomists facing resistance: Standard pesticides can lose effectiveness; they want drop‑in alternatives that fit spray programs and don’t accelerate resistance, yet they’re cautious without field data and registrations (YC profile • company site).
• Animal‑health companies and livestock integrators: Require antimicrobial/antiparasitic agents that avoid contributing to antibiotic resistance and are safe and manufacturable, with reliable safety/efficacy data (YC profile • science page).
• Agricultural distributors, registrants, and crop‑protection consultants: Need products they can register, manufacture reliably, and support with trial data and labels; early lab‑stage tech is hard to carry until there are field results and approvals (company site • YC profile).

How would they acquire their first 10, 50, and 100 customers

• First 10: Secure high‑touch pilots with a few greenhouse growers and 1–2 animal‑health or distributor partners, running tightly scoped, cost‑covered trials via ACX scientists/CROs under data‑sharing agreements and clear go/no‑go metrics (science page • YC launch).
• First 50: Standardize successful pilots into a paid trial pack (fixed protocol, dosing, reporting) for regional greenhouse/specialty growers and crop consultants, while onboarding a few regional distributors and running multi‑crop, multi‑climate CRO trials to build the efficacy/safety dossier (company site • YC launch).
• First 100: Leverage pilot data and early sales to sign licensing/distribution deals with major agrochemical firms, initiate targeted registrations in priority markets, and offer contract manufacturing terms to enable broader row‑crop placement through partner channels (science page • YC launch).

What is the rough total addressable market

Top-down context:

Global crop protection is roughly USD 45–50B in 2024, while veterinary antimicrobials are roughly USD 4–6B; biopesticides—the closest fit for ACX—are smaller today but growing quickly into the mid‑single to low‑double‑digit billions this decade (Grand View Research • PMC review • RootsAnalysis • GVR veterinary antibiotics).

Bottom-up calculation:

Near‑term serviceable market can be framed as the biopesticides segment most relevant to greenhouse/specialty and resistance‑replacement use cases. If current biopesticides are ~USD 5–7B and ACX‑addressable niches represent ~20–30% (greenhouse/specialty plus select resistance niches), the immediate TAM proxy is ~USD 1–2B, expanding as registrations and row‑crop licensing unlock more of crop protection (PMC review • RootsAnalysis).

Assumptions:

• Biopesticides market today is ~USD 5–7B; ACX’s near‑term addressable share is 20–30% focused on greenhouse/specialty and resistance‑replacement niches.
• Pricing and adoption are comparable to existing biologicals once efficacy is demonstrated; broader row‑crop access depends on registrations/licensing.
• Animal‑health opportunities are excluded from the near‑term bottom‑up and would add upside post‑validation.

Who are some of their notable competitors

• AgBiome: Discovers and commercializes plant‑associated microbial actives (e.g., Howler biofungicide) with partnerships for registration/distribution; overlaps with ACX on microbe‑derived discovery and scaling channels (review).
• Vestaron: Develops peptide‑based insecticides with novel modes of action and has achieved commercialization/scale partnerships, exemplifying the regulatory and manufacturing path ACX will need (science • funding/commercialization news).
• Marrone Bio (Bioceres/ProFarm): Long‑running biopesticide portfolio across specialty and row crops; merged into Bioceres (ProFarm), providing incumbent products, registrations, and distribution that compete with new entrants (merger news).
• Koppert Biological Systems: Global leader in biological control for greenhouse/horticulture (beneficial insects, mites, microbials); directly overlaps with ACX’s greenhouse focus and established grower channels (products).
• Certis Biologicals: Large biologicals manufacturer/distributor with many registrations and greenhouse presence; both a competitor and potential channel/registrant partner for new actives (greenhouse products).