Biostimulants and the science and journey of Holissor

Chemical fertilizers have powered global food production for decades, but it comes at a cost. Nutrient runoff, soil degradation, and greenhouse emissions are pushing agriculture towards better solutions to feed the planet. One promising tool is the transformation of agricultural residues into biostimulants that strengthen crops, restore soils, and reduce chemical dependence.

This approach defines Holissor, a Florida-based biotech company developing biosolutions for agriculture. At the helm is José Antonio de Cote, a biochemist and entrepreneur whose 25-year career bridges molecular biology and agricultural innovation. With science, circularity and sustainability at its core, Holissor has created one of the most interesting biostimulants on the market for farmers in the US and Latin America. 

What are biostimulants?

Biostimulants are natural or biologically derived products that improve plant growth and stress tolerance, by activating important plant processes for nutrition and stress response. 

When using fertilizers, we focus only on providing nutrients. But if the plant can’t use them efficiently, farmers end up wasting time and money on products that don’t increase yields. The environment also pays the price, with excessive chemical fertilization causing nutrient runoff, soil degradation and water contamination.

Biostimulants go beyond fertilization. Their composition is rich in bioactive compounds that regulate plant access and uptake of nutrients, helping them make the most of what’s already in the soil.

Can biostimulants replace fertilizers? No, they are complementary. Nutrition is essential, but plants also face many environmental stressors. Over 60 % of yield losses worldwide are caused by abiotic factors: droughts, soil salinity, and extreme temperatures. Biostimulants help plants cope with these conditions by enhancing nutrient use, stimulating root development, activating antioxidant defenses, and regulating hormonal pathways. 

Holissor’s flagship biostimulant, Biossor

Our flagship product, Biossor, is full of nutritional and stimulant compounds. We make it entirely from food-processing residues, like leftovers of crops and food. Through enzymatic processes developed in collaboration with the University of Seville, we transform these materials into water-soluble extracts. These are rich in amino acids, organic nitrogen, oligopeptides, phytohormones, and isoflavones, providing many benefits to plants: 

• Amino acids are absorbed through leaves and roots, giving plants ready-to-use building blocks for proteins. Some, like proline, accumulate during drought, helping plants stay hydrated, preserve protein structure, and limit oxidative stress. They also influence hormonal pathways that regulate growth and stress responses. 

• Phytohormones, such as auxins, cytokinins and abscisic acid, regulate how plants respond to environmental changes by regulating growth, root development, and stress signalling.

• Oligopeptides trigger defence pathways and modulate gene expression, activating the molecular machinery plants need to withstand abiotic stress. 

To preserve these valuable components in our products, we use enzymatic hydrolysis. Unlike chemical processes, where harsh acids and high temperatures can degrade bioactive compounds, enzymatic hydrolysis works like a precision tool, cutting proteins at specific points. This releases peptides and amino acids while keeping sensitive compounds (like phytohormones) intact.

This way, the natural activity of plant compounds stays intact, which has made Biossor show improved nutrient efficiency, stress tolerance, and crop quality.

Waste not, want not

While choosing biostimulants is already a step toward sustainability, at Holissor we go even further by creating our products through upcycling, making something more valuable than the starting material. Every year, agriculture and food processing industries in the United States and Latin America generate millions of tonnes of organic waste. Normally, this is burnt or sent to landfills, releasing methane and carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. 

Far from being a waste, these residues are high in nutrients that can be effectively turned into agronomical value. At Holissor, we built our work on this simple premise: waste can become a resource. We obtain 100% of our active ingredients from agro-industrial byproducts, making protein, nitrogen, phosphorus, phytohormones, and micronutrients end up directly where they are most needed: boosting the next batch of crops.

The roots of Holissor

​For a plant to bear fruit, it must have strong roots. Holissor is no different, growing on both strong science and people with decades of experience and success. Holissor’s co-founder, José Antonio de Cote, studied biotechnology in Córdoba (Spain) and decided that science didn’t end in academia. He learned to turn biotech into business at a university spinoff focusing on a Trichoderma biofungicide, the first to be certified in Spain. Seeking to impact the world through science, he moved to Miami, where he founded iQBiotech, to continue working in the world of biostimulants. After field trials in over 10 countries and millions raised, the company was sold, but José’s journey was far from over.

Holissor was born from José’s knowledge of biostimulants and his desire to help farmers while reducing waste. Faced with the vast amounts of organic residues generated in the U.S., he saw a clear opportunity but needed the right technology. Álvaro Castillo Monge, member of the Board of Directors of Grupo Empresarial Mariposa, trusted José’s vision from the start and joined as a partner and investor. Then, a timely conversation in New York with an old friend, Jesús Suárez, opened the opportunity for a new strategic alliance with Nostrum Simul S.L., providing the facilities to scale industrial production.

But innovation needs solid science to work. At the scientific level, Professor Juan Parrado, a University of Seville biostimulant specialist, and Dr. Ángel Orts both bring the expertise required in enzymatic hydrolysis and validate the effects of biostimulants in laboratory trials. 

Two more individuals complete Holissor’s team. Marcel Barbier, COO and doctor in plant nutrition, brings over 20 years of plant-science experience in industry heavyweights. Matthew Starr, R&D Director, adds his expertise in laboratory trials needed to bridge lab results with real impact for crops and farmers. All of them, together with advisors, farmers, and people helping along the way, are the network of roots propping Holissor up.

We are Holissor

Holissor does not end there. Expansions of operations, new biosolutions, partnerships, and science-backed products to help farmers are on the way. We believe that biostimulants are at the forefront of agricultural solutions needed to reduce waste and improve yield and quality. This belief is founded in lifetimes of research and expertise but also in regulation changes and farmer’s opinions. Organic farming mandated chemical fertilizer reductions, and sustainability laws, all drive agriculture towards the use of biostimulants. Farmers who use our products agree that the benefits are there. 

Holissor is committed to serving society through science. Our products reduce waste and increase yield while complying with organic farming regulations. New products and markets are on the horizon, and we are building Holissor to meet the challenges of the food production of the future. For farmers ready to reduce fertilizer use with biostimulants and scientists looking to improve crop resilience and plant health more sustainably, we are here.

This blog was authored by Helixa Communications, a science communication agency that makes science accessible and impactful. Find more information at: www.helixacommunications.com