“We save humans and biodiversity with the right innovations”
Never Mwambela, Founder and CEO, Plant Biodefenders
Location: Tanzania
Founding year: 2019
Number of employees: 8
Website: Plant Biodefenders
Revenue: USD 235,000 (2023)
Investment ask: USD 120,000 (debt)
Investment needed to:
- Expand production through acquisition and installation of new machinery
- Conduct efficacy trials of biopesticide for control of pests in new crops
- Increase sales volumes and customer base
- Raise awareness of farmers and regulatory bodies about use and benefits of biopesticides
Products and services:
- Vuruga Biocide (biopesticide)
- Pest monitoring and control services
- Laboratory services
- Sustainable farming and agronomic consulting
- Medicinal products
Enterprise portrait
Before becoming founder and CEO of Plant Biodefenders, Never Mwambela was on a quest to find a sustainable solution for reducing crop damage and loss that exacerbates food insecurity in Tanzania. As a doctoral researcher at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, with funding from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she explored biological control methods for containing the invasive and highly destructive fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and tomato leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta), two pests that have plagued farms and taken a hefty toll on farmer livelihoods since their introduction in Tanzania less than ten years earlier. Through her research, Dr. Mwembela succeeded in formulating a fungus-based (Aspergillus oryzae) organic pesticide that is highly effective and completely safe for crops, humans and untargeted organisms.
Dr. Mwambela then founded Plant Biodefenders to bring her scientific innovation to the market under the name of Vuruga Biocide. This unique biopesticide significantly reduces crop loss from major pests, including aphids, mealybugs, fruit flies, cotton moths and bollworms. It also presents a lasting solution to the problem of mounting pest resistance to chemical pesticides, since its active agent is a microbe (fungal spore). At the same time, the product also attracts pollinators and aids crops to take up minerals in the soil - a triple win!
Since its founding, Plant Biodefenders has also launched a line of medicinal and health products to promote human health and wellbeing.
Key commercial activities
- Manufacturing and packaging: Plant Biodefenders manufactures 1,000L (in 2025) of its signature Vuruga Biocide each day, which it also packages in various bottle sizes (5L, 1L, 500ml, 250ml, 120ml). The company has a scheme to recover and re-use empty bottles.
- Distribution and sales: Plant Biodefenders sells Vuruga Biocide through multiple channels. It supplies agricultural inputs distributors, input wholesalers and the Tanzanian government. It also sells directly to individual growers. Between 2000 and 2024, growth in sales of Vuruga Biocide increased 50% year-over-year. As of early 2025, the company had built up a base of over 12,000 regular customers, 3,800 of whom are women farmers who have been using the product for at least 3 years.
- Farmer trainings: To date, Plant Biodefenders has trained about 6,500 farmers with support from partners on good agricultural practices and the use of biopesticides to increase crop yields
- Pest monitoring and control / laboratory /agronomic consultancy services: Plant Biodefenders offers trainings and consulting services to farmer associations, organic farming companies on identification, monitoring and management pests through the use of biological controls methods.
Plans to grow the business
Plant Biodefenders is focused on expanding its production capacity, building partnerships with various sub-sector players and testing the efficacy of its Vuruga Biocide for protection of additional crops. As the 1st prize winner of the Agroecological Food Futures Prize, the company received a USD 20,000 grant that it is deploying in 2025 to achieve the following objectives;
- Expand production of Vuruga Biocide from 1,000L to 2,000L per day
- Design and conduct efficacy trials of Vuruga Biocide - along with private sector, Tanzania Plant Health and Protection Authority (TPHPA) and Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI) - on control of pests on coffee plantations
- Train coffee farmers on efficacy, benefits and proper use of biopesticides
- Establish addition distribution centers and grow its customer base in the coffee sub-sector
Demand for Vuruga Biocide has gained significant traction with an estimated market demand in Tanzania of over 1,000,000L per year, which exceeds current production capacity. To meet this demand and eventually service other markets in the region, the company is seeking capital to scale up its operations.
Agroecology impact highlights
Plant Biodefenders’ approach to pest control preserves on-farm biodiversity with its Vuruga Biocide that only targets specific problematic pests. Untargeted insects, larger animals and other organisms are completely unaffected by the biopesticide and able to thrive. Containing a pollinator attractant, Vuruga Biocide even enhances biodiversity on the farm. Moreover, the product does not introduce any chemical substances into the environment, contributing to biodiversity preservation beyond the farm as well.
The company supports a holistic approach to soil health by training farmers on agroecological practices, such as conservation tillage, mulching, mixed cropping, manure use and efficient irrigation to reduce run-off. The use of their signature biopesticide also supports good soil health. In contrast to conventional pesticides, Vuruga Biocide spares agricultural soils of toxic chemicals that negatively affect soil organisms. On top of this, it improves crops’ uptake of essential minerals and contributes to better yields, thereby reducing the need for chemical fertilizers.
This agroecological enterprise prioritizes recycling and reduction of polluting inputs throughout its operations. The company has a policy to recover all empty biopesticide bottles from customers for washing and re-use. At the moment, the business has an agreement with an organic farmers group to recover all empty bottles, and the company is working to do the same with other customers. In the future, they envision having a re-filling station for users. When it comes to energy, Plant Biodefenders’ premises draw much of their power from solar energy and bio-gas. Having already phased out coal in part of the production process, the company is striving towards the use of only renewable and clean energy.
Current challenges
Awareness about the benefits of biopesticides among farmers, agronomists and consumers is lacking in Tanzania. Making farmers aware of the existence of biopesticides and the ways they act on targeted pests without harming beneficial organisms or negatively affecting crop and soil health will grow demand for such products. Raising awareness of agricultural extension officers and input suppliers about the efficacy, utilization and affordability of biopesticides is also needed.
Despite a lack of awareness around biopesticides, demand for Vuruga Biocide still outstrips production capacity at present. While Plant Biodefenders has been expanding its operations, the company still requires more capital to manufacture its signature biopesticide at a scale that allows it to meet demand.
Financing track record
Plant Biodefenders was largely self-funded in its first couple years of operation. In recognition of its impact-focus and innovative business model, they have since received USD 50,000 in catalytic grant financing from the FUNGUO Programme in 2022, two grants from DEG Impulse’s develoPPP Ventures between 2023 and 2024 totalling EUR 300,000 and a loan in 2024 of USD 22,000. Most recently, Plant Biodefenders was the 1st place winner of the 2024 Agroecological Food Futures Prize, for which the company received a USD 20,000 grant to increase production capacity by 10%, establish distribution centres in coffee growing areas and grow its customer base and sales in the coffee sub-sector.