From Pest to Profit? BugBiome’s Quest for the Perfect Market

Should BugBiome pursue mosquito repellent or crop protection? In this case study, Dr Alicia Showering grapples with a fundamental tension faced by scientific researchers launching their own entrepreneurial ventures: identifying the best market for their invention. Dr. Showering faced a dilemma between pursuing her original research goal—developing a synthetically formulated microbial mosquito repellent—and following a more commercially viable path to market through agricultural biopesticides. Like many deep-technology founders, she discovered that the most profitable application of her technology did not align with her initial academic vision. Nevertheless, the venture can often only choose one market to pursue at first, less the founders risk sowing confusion among both potential investors and future users alike. Additionally, pursuing two markets simultaneously means diluting resources. Focus is the name of the game.In addition to targeting an appropriate market to maximise the potential for early success, scientific entrepreneurs, such as Dr. Showering, must also navigate other challenges of founding a spinout. These include negotiating intellectual property (IP) with a technology transfer office (TTO), identifying and recruiting a suitable cofounder with business experience, and securing funding. This case study places students in Dr. Showering’s shoes as she navigates each of these challenges – and more – on BugBiome’s path to commercial success.