Company mission
At ACX we are pioneering the future of sustainable agriculture with precision biocides – a next-generation approach to pest control that fuses biotechnology, precision engineering, and environmental responsibility. Our mission is to redefine crop protection by developing bioengineered solutions that scale seamlessly, reduce chemical dependence, promote biodiversity and enhance global food security.
The team
Founders
Emmanouela is a PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from the University of Cambridge and Biotech Entrepreneur. Previously, she worked in immunology and cancer research, malaria vaccine development, infectious disease, and viral drug discovery at prestigious institutions, including the University of Cambridge, Barts Cancer Institute CRUK, King’s College London, Institute Curie, and Imperial College London. Author of peer-reviewed publications and multi-award-winner.
Melina is a PhD in Computer Science from King's College London and Biotech Entrepreneur. Previously, she held several research positions spanning digital health, robotics, technology-enabled interventions, AI and NLP building both software and hardware at institutions, such as Cambridge University, King's College London, the National Health Service (NHS) in England, and the Francis Crick Institute. Author of peer-reviewed publications and multi-award-winner.
Advisors
Ron Shigeta, PhD, is a biotech entrepreneur and the co-founder and Science Officer of the leading biotech accelerator IndieBio and Wild Earth. He has invested in and advised over 120 startups, significantly impacting biotechnology in food and consumer products. He trained at Stanford University, Harvard Medical School and Princeton University, specializing in protein structure determination and biophysics.
Distinguished Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Cambridge, member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) and part of the Faculty of 1000. Established a leading Cryo-EM and Cryo-ET platform, recipient of multiple awards and author of landmark publications in Structural Biology. Conducted PhD research on hemoglobin's structure with Nobel Laureate Dr. Max Perutz at the LMB and trained at Caltech, Yale University and Cambridge University.
