Skin Elements Eyes $600K Deal to Bring Chemical-Free Kiwifruit Spray to Market
Skin Elements moves to commercialise ECO-Nurture after three years of kiwifruit orchard testing
Skin Elements (ASX: SKN) is in advanced-stage negotiations for an exclusive distribution agreement with a leading New Zealand rural co-operative for its ECO-Nurture horticultural plant infection control product, following the completion of a 36-month evaluation program across three kiwifruit growing seasons (2023, 2024, and 2025). Subject to the execution of a definitive agreement, the company is positioned to receive an immediate $600,000 payment on the shipment of an initial 4,000 litres of ECO-Nurture — marking what management describes as the first commercial-scale agreement for its SE Formula antimicrobial biotechnology platform.
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What is ECO-Nurture and why does kiwifruit farming need it?
ECO-Nurture is a sustainable horticultural plant infection control product derived from Skin Elements’ plant-based SE Formula antimicrobial biotechnology platform. Designed as a bio-stimulant, it targets harmful bacteria affecting crops while avoiding the side effects associated with conventional chemical treatments.
The problem with chemical-based crop protection
Conventional kiwifruit crop protection relies on chemical-based sprays that can adversely impact plant health. Testing conducted over the past 36 months across kiwifruit orchards in New Zealand demonstrated that ECO-Nurture can successfully eliminate all bacterial types affecting kiwifruit vines without resorting to those chemicals — a distinction the company highlights as a potential breakthrough in crop protection technology.
How ECO-Nurture fits the broader SE Formula platform
ECO-Nurture sits within Skin Elements’ wider SE Formula biotechnology platform, which underpins the company’s skin care, hygiene, and agriculture product portfolio. Its progression toward commercial scale validates that the underlying technology has application well beyond personal care products, spanning multiple addressable markets from a single platform.
The SE Formula product family currently includes:
- SuprCuvr (ARTG-listed hospital-grade plant-based disinfectant)
- ECO-Nurture (plant bio-stimulant and infection control)
- Soléo Organics (natural and organic sunscreen)
- PapayaActivs (natural therapeutics skincare)
- Elizabeth Jane Natural Cosmetics
Deal structure and the path to $600,000
The commercial pathway from negotiations to payment follows a clear sequence of steps:
- Finalise negotiations for an exclusive distribution agreement with the leading New Zealand rural co-operative
- Execute the definitive agreement
- Skin Elements receives an immediate $600,000 payment on shipment of the initial 4,000 litres of ECO-Nurture for sale and distribution
- Pursue regulatory approval under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 (NZ) (ACVM)
- Upon ACVM approval, enter further negotiations for ongoing exclusivity on the sale and distribution of ECO-Nurture in New Zealand
It is important to note that the $600,000 payment remains subject to the execution of a definitive agreement. The deal has not yet been finalised.
Dr Peter Malone, Executive Chairman, Skin Elements Limited
“Skin Elements is excited to commercialise ECO-Nurture as it continues to create and drive value for its shareholders. On successful execution, this will be the first commercial-scale agreement for our SE Formula antimicrobial biotechnology formula, which underpins all our products. ECO-Nurture has undergone extensive testing on kiwifruit crops in New Zealand in a variety of settings, from initial small-scale testing, to larger hot-houses and orchards. Its ability to kill bacteria that is particularly harmful and damaging to kiwifruit, while not adversely impacting the health of the kiwifruit plant, as can occur with widely-used chemical-based sprays, provides a major potential breakthrough in kiwifruit crop protection technology, and offers a viable and effective solution to a major crop protection and revenue loss problem in the kiwifruit industry.”
The table below summarises the key milestones, current status, and associated financial triggers:
| Milestone | Detail | Status | Financial Trigger | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testing programme | 36-month kiwifruit orchard evaluation (2023–2025) | Complete | — | New Zealand |
| Exclusive distribution agreement | With leading NZ rural co-operative | Negotiations being finalised | $600,000 on initial 4,000L shipment | New Zealand |
| ACVM regulatory approval | Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 (NZ) | In progress | Unlocks ongoing exclusivity negotiations | New Zealand |
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Investment thesis: a platform technology reaching its first commercial proof point
For investors monitoring (ASX: SKN), the ECO-Nurture commercialisation update represents more than a single distribution deal. Three years of real-world orchard testing across multiple settings — from small-scale trials to larger hot-houses and commercial orchards — substantially de-risks the commercial claim that the technology performs at scale.
If the exclusive distribution agreement is executed as proposed, it would establish the first revenue-generating proof point for the SE Formula antimicrobial biotechnology platform. That precedent matters because the same underlying technology supports Skin Elements’ skin care, hygiene, and agricultural product lines, meaning a validated commercial outcome in agriculture could strengthen the investment case across the broader portfolio.
ACVM regulatory approval represents the clearest near-term catalyst to monitor. Obtaining approval under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 (NZ) is the regulatory gateway through which Skin Elements proposes to enter further negotiations for ongoing exclusivity on the sale and distribution of ECO-Nurture in New Zealand. That exclusivity, if secured, would formalise the company’s position in what it characterises as a genuine commercial-scale addressable market with an existing crop protection and revenue loss problem in the kiwifruit industry.
With negotiations described as advanced and the testing programme now complete, the company’s next material update is likely to centre on either the execution of the definitive agreement or progress toward ACVM approval.
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