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  • 📈 Superweeds Beware: Moa’s $65bn Mission

📈 Superweeds Beware: Moa’s $65bn Mission

UK’s EV Push Hits a Pothole

December 26, 2024

This is Cliff Equity, the UK’s business newsletter that keeps you informed on what’s important in tech, business and finance in less than 5 minutes

In today’s stories:

  • Superweeds Beware: Moa’s $65bn Mission

  • UK’s EV Push Hits a Pothole

  • £3.7bn Expected to Flood in, Beauty and Tech Lead

The summary: Oxford spinout Moa Technology is on a mission to outsmart superweeds with groundbreaking herbicide innovations, aiming to revolutionise farming, safeguard food security, and shake up a $65bn market—all while keeping it green and clever.

The details:

  • Weeding out the competition: Oxford spinout Moa Technology is cultivating $40m (£32m) in Series C funding to tackle the scourge of herbicide-resistant "superweeds" threatening global food security.

  • Planting seeds of innovation: With $59m (£47m) already raised from heavyweights like Oxford Science Enterprises, Moa's weed-whacking research boasts 70+ new "modes of action" and field trials spanning the UK, US, and France.

  • Rethinking weedkillers: Moa’s eco-conscious approach sidesteps health controversies plaguing industry titans like Bayer’s Roundup, aiming to roll out its first products by the decade's end.

  • Royalties, not retail: Moa’s ARM-inspired business model will license its herbicide breakthroughs globally, keeping the company focused on R&D under the helm of CEO Dr. Virginia Corless. Expect fundraising updates next year!

Why it matters: Superweeds are the uninvited guests crashing the global farming party, threatening food security and driving up costs for growers already spending billions. Moa Technology’s clever science offers a lifeline, promising smarter, safer weed control that avoids the legal and health nightmares plaguing traditional herbicides. With the potential to shake up a $65bn market, this Oxford brainchild might just be agriculture’s best shot at a greener, weed-free future.

The summary: The UK’s push for electric cars is a bold leap towards a greener future, but with pricey EVs, patchy charging points, and tight deadlines, it’s a high-stakes race to keep drivers, manufacturers, and the planet on side.

The details:

  • Labour’s EV Deadline Dilemma: Labour is determined to reinstate the 2030 petrol and diesel car sales ban, scrapping the Conservatives' five-year extension. But with EV adoption stalling, consultations with industry and experts are in overdrive.

  • Charged-Up Concerns: Electric vehicle prices are still eye-wateringly high, and the UK’s charging infrastructure feels like trying to plug in at a camping site—patchy at best. City dwellers, like Kaylan and Angelina from London, are sticking with fossil fuels for now, citing costs and charging hassles.

  • ZEV Mandate Melodrama: Automakers face strict zero-emission vehicle targets, risking £15k per missed sale. While some manufacturers are thriving, others see these mandates as a marathon run in flip-flops, demanding bolder government incentives.

  • Bright Sparks or Dim Outlook?: Despite record EV sales and ambitious charging expansion plans, UK car production fell 15% this October. The government hopes its consultation will spark a clean energy boom, but the journey from target to triumph might be a bumpy ride.

Why it matters: The clock is ticking on the UK’s race to go green, but with electric cars still pricier than a Mayfair flat and charging points scarcer than sunlit days, the road ahead looks foggy. The government’s consultation could either supercharge the industry or leave it stuck in neutral, with drivers and manufacturers alike searching for the nearest escape route. Whether it’s jobs, the environment, or just making EVs affordable for the average Brit, getting this right is the difference between leading the charge or running out of juice.

The summary: Boxing Day sales are looking steady as shoppers flock online for beauty and tech bargains, while high street footfall takes a dip and retailers brace for a new year of slightly easier inflation and shifting shopping trends.

The details:

  • Couch Potatoes Rule the Roost: Boxing Day sales are projected to hit £3.7bn, a modest 1.3% rise, with online shoppers snapping up beauty and tech bargains from their sofas while high streets resemble ghost towns. Thanks to midnight clicks, the sales chaos now begins before the turkey’s even cold.

  • Retailers Close, Shoppers Stay Home: With big names like John Lewis and M&S letting staff rest, plus travel chaos and multi-meal family plans, high street footfall continues to dwindle. Meanwhile, fashion sales falter, with mild weather leaving unsold jumpers hanging forlornly on racks.

  • Social Media’s Beauty Boom: Skincare and cosmetics continue to soar, fuelled by influencers and the return to office life. LED face masks are apparently the new must-have, because nothing says Boxing Day like luminous skincare gadgets.

  • The Black Friday Takeover: Boxing Day’s crown has slipped, usurped by US-inspired Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Analysts predict steady growth in festive spending overall, but with inflation pressures looming, 2025 could hold a new round of price tag jitters.

Why it matters: Boxing Day's fizz has gone flat, with shoppers ditching crowded high streets for online clicks, showing how digital convenience continues to reshape retail traditions. The shift to beauty and tech splurges highlights changing priorities—apparently, glowing skin and shiny gadgets trump woolly jumpers. Meanwhile, with inflation pressures simmering down but not out, retailers might enjoy a brief reprieve before the cost-of-living seesaw tips again.