Unruly Partners, the investment firm known for backing bold founders reshaping agriculture, food, and health, proudly announces the appointment of Dame Alison Stewart as Scientific Partner. Alison is currently Scientific Advisor to Cellora, an Unruly portfolio company. Her appointment signals Unruly’s deep commitment to evidence-driven investment and science-based entrepreneurship, particularly in areas often underfunded but vital to global and human health.
Alison will be a key member of the Unruly team – interrogating scientific claims, uncovering commercial applicability of scientific research programs, and helping translate foundational research into investable, high-impact startups.
“I’m excited to work with the Unruly team to identify breakthrough science that deserves to be commercialised,” said Alison. “Some of the most promising ideas never make it to market – not because the science isn’t sound, but because they lack the right partners to translate them into real-world impact.”
A Legacy of Science, A Future of Impact
Alison has held leadership positions across academia, government, commerce and industry. She was the first female Professor at Lincoln University and founding Director of the Bio-Protection Research Centre of Excellence. She was Chief Scientist at Marrone Bio Innovations, a US-based biopesticide company and more recently the CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research. She is currently Scientific Advisor to Cellora, and holds board positions on Blis Technologies Ltd and the New Zealand Environmental Protection Authority. She is a Fellow of the NZ Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Science and a Fellow of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society. She is recognised globally for her contributions to sustainable agriculture and plant protection and was appointed a Dame Companion of the NZ Order of Merit in 2025 for her services to plant sciences.
“Alison is not just an accomplished scientist – she is an innovator,” said Kelvin Keh, Executive Director of Unruly. “She’s spent her career translating scientific discovery into scalable, global impact. Her contribution will be invaluable as we back the next generation of founders and companies driving change at the intersection of biology, sustainability, and food systems.”
About Unruly Partners
Unruly Partners is a New Zealand-based investment firm founded by Juliet Maclean, Michael Falconer and Kelvin Keh. With deep operational experience, a global network, and a bias toward first-principles science, Unruly is building a portfolio of early-stage companies with the potential to reshape sectors at the foundation of our economy – agriculture, food systems, and healthcare. Unruly’s team works closely with technical founders to stress-test science, de-risk execution, and build globally relevant businesses.
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