Finance
Biotalys Reports Full-Year 2024 Financial Results and Business Highlights
Ghent, BELGIUM, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Press release – regulated information
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Continued to work closely with European and U.S. regulators on the regulatory review of its first candidate biofungicide EVOCA™*, earning recommendation for EU approval by the Dutch CTGB in January 2025 on the back of the approval of large-scale demonstration trials in the Netherlands
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Progressed product pipeline with initial field trials for BioFun-6 showing strong results and highlighting the increased potency of the tested candidate
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Closed €15 million private placement to continue strategic growth initiatives, with year-end cash and cash equivalents amounting to €22.6 million providing a financial runway into May 2026
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Management to host a conference call and live webcast at 15:00 CET / 14:00 GMT / 09:00 AM ET today, details below
Biotalys (Euronext – BTLS), an Agricultural Technology (AgTech) company developing protein-based biocontrols for sustainable crop protection, today announced key business achievements and consolidated financial results for 2024, prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the European Union, and an outlook for 2025. The annual report, including the full financial report, will be published on the company’s website on 21 March 2025.
Kevin Helash, Chief Executive Officer of Biotalys, stated: “Biotalys continued to lead the charge toward creating effective and sustainable crop protection products in 2024. While we worked closely with regulators to progress the potential approval for innovative protein-based biocontrols like EVOCA, we also strengthened our platform, pipeline, partnerships, and team. Additionally, we optimized capital resources last year, achieving a significant reduction in operating expenses while strengthening our balance sheet through a successful private placement. Looking ahead, we plan to further advance our product portfolio and develop novel modes of action, as well as expand options to scale and produce our biobased solutions.”
Highlights
In 2024, Biotalys continued to cement its role as a primary innovator in the biocontrol space by advancing its technology platform and product development pipeline.
Product Pipeline:
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Biotalys worked closely with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the United States and the Dutch CTGB (College voor de Toelating van Gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en Biociden) in Europe on EVOCA’s regulatory review throughout the year.
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While the regulatory landscape in the United States is evolving, Biotalys has recently received a request for additional information from the EPA. The company expects to provide the EPA with the requested data in Q2, positioning EVOCA for potential registration thereafter.
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In Europe, the CTGB recently recommended the approval of EVOCA’s active ingredient throughout the European Union after previously granting approval to test EVOCA in large-scale demonstration trials in the Netherlands and offer the harvest for sale for human consumption. A registration in Europe would allow first access to this important market for Botrytis and powdery mildew fungicides estimated to be around USD 1 billion at the grower level.
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In addition, the company obtained patents for EVOCA from both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2024, and from the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) in February 2025. In Brazil, the patent examination process benefited from the Patentes Verdes (“Green Technology”) initiative to accelerate the examination of patent applications relating to technologies having a positive impact on the environment.
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In March last year, Biotalys announced a partnership with Novonesis to advance EVOCA NG to the final stage of development. Pending success in this final development stage, the agreement secured Novonesis as the global manufacturing partner for EVOCA NG while granting it certain distribution rights. By year-end, substantial progress had been achieved in strain engineering for EVOCA NG, paving the way for the next phase of development
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Biotalys also began field trials in both Europe and the United States for BioFun-6, a biofungicide candidate targeting Botrytis, powdery mildew and potentially other fungal diseases in high-value fruits and vegetables. Results published in March 2025, showed that the BioFun-6 AGROBODY biocontrol can achieve the same level of performance as EVOCA at significantly lower dosage rates, highlighting the increased potency of the new candidate.
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In October, Biotalys introduced a new biofungicide program, BioFun-8, focusing on combatting Alternaria, a top leaf spot fungus, in fruits, vegetables and potato crops, and representing a global market opportunity of approximately USD 1.1 billion at grower level.
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Early in the year, Biotalys also expanded its relationships with top academics, adding collaborations with leading plant science researchers for BioFun-4, targeting Phytophthora infestans, and for BioFun-7, a project in collaboration with the Gates Foundation and targeting leafspot disease. With these collaborations the company continues to build on the strong scientific foundation of its R&D programs and technology, creating synergies between the expertise and excellent research in academia and industry.
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Biotalys also continued to advance its first bioinsecticide, BioIns-2, in collaboration with Syngenta Crop Protection.
Finance
Houston budget amendment would give financial assistance to help those impacted by a trash fee
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Houston City Council could soon consider whether to offer financial assistance to help those who may struggle to afford a proposed trash fee.
This month, council will approve a budget. In it, Mayor John Whitmire doesn’t increase taxes.
However, he does want to charge a $5 monthly fee to cover trash services. A plan to help close the city’s nearly $200 million deficit that doesn’t add up to some.
Speaking in front of council on Wednesday, Super Neighborhood 64 president Lindsay Williams brought more than concerns, she had numbers surrounding the mayor’s proposed $5 monthly trash fee.
A plan his team says could climb to $25 a month by 2032. If it does, Williams told council that $300 annual cost would be just .15% of a $200,000 income.
For someone making $15,000, it’s two percent. “More than 13 times the burden for the same trash, same truck and same fee, but not the same pay,” Williams explained.
However, Controller Chris Hollins said the mayor’s not being truthful about the real cost.
“Houstonians are not stupid,” Hollins said. “We should not treat Houstonians like they’re stupid.”
Hollins said the cost may need to be $40 a month. Whitmire didn’t respond to Hollins during the meeting when he asked if he plans to increase the fee.
No matter the cost, some council members want to offer financial relief. Right now, there are no exceptions.
However, an amendment council will consider from Council Member Alejandra Salinas next week would change that.
“If they for whatever reason met the threshold and need an additional need because of the administrative fee, our amendment would allow them to apply for funds through the water fund,” Salinas said.
The trash fee wasn’t the only item from the mayor’s seven and a half billion dollar budget proposal that sparked debate. Hollins said a plan to divert money away from water utilities could drain a billion over the next five years from infrastructure money.
Whitmire disagrees saying there’s more than enough funds to handle the change, and continue with projects.
“We’ve all admitted the budget’s not perfect, but certainly it’s a first start that Houstonians understand and it’s a shame it’s being so politicized because it’s literally people’s lives and death,” Whitmire said.
Council will vote on amendments next week. It has to have a new budget in place by the end of the month.
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Reader question: My spouse has little interest in our financial position. As we age, this concerns me. I try to share some basic information (income, spending, account balances, debt, and so on) each month but rarely get a response. I think graphs or charts might be of more interest to her than a bunch of numbers. What recommendations would you have for illustrating our financial position so that I am not the only person aware of how we are situated? Thanks!
Answer: Your situation is pretty common. Most couples I know develop a division of labor over time, where one person is in charge of financial matters and the other person is less involved. That’s definitely the case for my husband and me. He’s in charge of paying all the monthly bills and preparing our tax returns, but the financial planning and investment decisions are up to me. This type of arrangement might work well for a long time, but can become less sustainable with age, particularly if the “finance person” in the relationship dies or develops a major health issue.
Online tools and mind maps
Illustrating your financial situation with charts and graphs is a great idea that might help your spouse become a little more involved. Morningstar’s Portfolio X-Ray tool includes a variety of images that help illustrate your financial situation. Websites for most major brokerage firms also include some visual tools. Schwab, for example, offers a Portfolio Checkup and a bar graph illustrating your account’s monthly income from dividends and interest income. Vanguard has a Portfolio Watch tool and a variety of performance illustrations, tools, and calculators.
A mind map, which we used with clients when I worked for a financial advisory firm, can be another way to picture your entire financial situation on one page. There are various softwaretemplates for drawing a mind map, or you can simply sketch it out with a large sheet of paper and a pencil. Start with your names at the center of the page. Then draw spokes connecting to various categories, such as names of other family members; investment accounts; real estate and other assets, insurance policies, estate plans, key goals and values, and contact information for accountants, estate planners, and other professionals. It can be helpful to go through the mind map together and make any updates needed at least once a year.
Other ways to communicate about money
A few other ideas—though not related to charts and graphs—might also be useful.
I like the idea of putting together a net worth statement that itemizes cash, taxable accounts, real estate, retirement accounts, and debt for each member of the couple as well as items owned jointly. It’s a good idea to update this document at least once a year and discuss it as a couple. If you set up the document as a spreadsheet, you can include columns with additional information such as account numbers, what each account is used for, which accounts are subject to required minimum distributions, or tax issues like potential capital gains.
Many couples also put together a binder (sometimes humorously called a “Doomsday Book”) that contains information about where to find important paperwork, insurance policies, how bills are paid, what each account is for, steps the surviving spouse will need to take, final wishes, and any other critical information.
A well-qualified financial adviser can bridge the information gap
Finally, you could consider working with a good financial adviser, who can help involve your spouse in financial matters while you’re still living and step in to fully manage investments and personal finance decisions if you pass away before your spouse. Make sure the adviser holds the Certified Financial Planner designation and charges fees that are reasonable. Although a 1% fee is still the industry standard for accounts of $1 million or less, it’s possible to find advisers who charge significantly less, including a few who price their services based on hours worked instead of a percentage of assets under management.
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This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.
Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.
Related links:
What If This Turns Out to Be a Terrible Time to Retire?
https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/what-if-this-turns-out-be-terrible-time-retire
Bill Bengen: ‘Inflation Is the Greatest Enemy of Retirees’
https://www.morningstar.com/retirement/bill-bengen-inflation-is-greatest-enemy-retirees
3 Big Questions to Ask Your Aging Parents
https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/3-big-questions-ask-your-aging-parents
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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