Bee Vectoring Technologies Granted Patent by European Patent Office For Biological Fungicide CR-7

Date:07-02-2020

Bee Vectoring Technologies International Inc. (the “Company” or “BVT”) (TSXV: BEE) (OTCQB: BEVVF) (CVE:BEE) today announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted a patent for BVT’s Clonostachys rosea CR-7 microbial strain (CR-7), and there has been no opposition filed in the nine month post-grant window which has now closed. This patent claims the usefulness of CR-7 as a plant treatment, thus protecting a critical component of BVT’s proprietary natural precision agriculture system, and has been further validated in 14 European countries (Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Turkey). The patent has previously been granted in six countries, and is under review by another nine patent authorities around the world.

“This represents a significant expansion of the scope of our Intellectual Property in Europe, building on the EPO’s earlier patent grant for our beehive dispensing apparatus,” says Ashish Malik, CEO of Bee Vectoring Technologies. “We now have strong patent protection in the world’s largest market for fungicides, with Europe accounting for 36%⁽¹⁾ of the overall global fungicides market. Europe is a major opportunity for BVT, as growers there are rapidly adopting sustainable practices to reduce chemical use and environmental impacts. BVT’s system is a powerful tool to help them accomplish that.”

The European patent grant (Patent Number EP3044307B1) recognizes the unique properties of BVT’s proven CR-7 strain as a plant-beneficial microbe that offers natural control of various plant diseases. It also protects CR-7 independently of its use as a biologic control agent vectored by bees, enabling the Company to also develop revenue streams in foliar sprays and seed treatments in the well-established traditional global fungicide market.

The current global fungicides market is valued at US$18.7 billion and projected to grow to US$24.5 billion by 2025⁽²⁾. This growth is due to increased demand for food security by a growing population, advances in farming practices and techniques, and changing climate conditions that lead to disease. Fungicides are used to destroy harmful fungi that affect crop yields.

“This patent is an important part of our larger European strategy – and our aggressive global strategy to ensure the Company is strongly positioned to capture market share around the world,” says Mr. Malik. “We recently established our European office in Switzerland, are working to close on Swiss regulatory approval, and are currently building out our strategy for regulatory submission to the European Union.”  

This EPO patent grant is part of BVT’s fungal strain family of patents in the Company’s expanding patent portfolio. BVT has also been granted patents in two families covering different aspects of a bumblebee hive dispensing apparatus, a family of patents covering carrier formulations that allow microbial strains to be carried by bees, and is pursuing a family of patents covering the new honeybee dispenser system that enables honeybees to be used as delivery mechanisms for CR-7 and other biological controls. 

BVT has had over 65 patents granted and currently has more than 35 pending in all major agricultural regions worldwide, including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

BVT also announces it has closed a non-brokered private placement of 1,111,111 units (“Units”) at a price of $0.315 per Unit for gross aggregate proceeds of $349,999.96 (the “Offering”).  Each Unit will consist of one common share (a “Share”) and one transferable common Share purchase warrant (a “Warrant”). Each Warrant will entitle the holder, on exercise, to purchase one additional Share for a period of 24 months following the closing, at an exercise price of CAD$0.525 per Share.

Should the 10-day volume weight average price of the Shares, as traded on the TSX-V, be equal to or greater than a 100% premium to the Warrant exercise price prior to the expiry date of the applicable Warrants, the Company may accelerate the expiry date (“Accelerated Expiry Date”) of the Warrants by providing the Warrant holders with notice (the “Acceleration Notice”) of its election to do so. The Accelerated Expiry Date referenced in an Acceleration Notice may be no earlier than the 30th day from the date on which such Accelerated Expiry Date is delivered to the warrant holders. For greater certainty, the Acceleration Notice may not be delivered to the subscribers prior to the Warrant exercise date

BVT intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund its ongoing growth strategy in the agricultural space, for continued research and development and general working capital purposes. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period that will expire on October 31, 2020, in accordance with applicable securities laws.

⁽¹⁾ Source: 2016, Research Nester

⁽²⁾ Source: 2019, MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd.