After announcing its €15 million Serie A funding round, the sustainable chemical company GFBiochemicals entered into an agreement with German chemical giant BASF. Specifically, BTC Europe GmbH, BASF’s European distribution organization, and NXTLEVVEL Biochem, a joint venture and manufactoring arm of GFBiochemicals, signed an agreement on the distribution of biobased and biodegradable solvents derived from levulinic acid for the European market.
British biotechnology company Ingenza has concluded its recent six-month project with Johnson Matthey, a speciality chemicals and sustainable technologies supplier. Together, the companies have developed new, efficient approaches for the production of industrially-relevant enzymes – including cytochrome P450 – through judicious selection of suitable microbial hosts.
Material manufacturer Covestro and biotechnology pioneer Genomatica announced an important industry milestone to advance sustainability resulting from their partnership. The two companies have teamed to be the first to successfully produce significant volumes of a plant-based version of the chemical raw material HMDA (hexamethylenediamine).
Evonik has made a follow-up investment in the biotechnology start-up In Ovo through its venture capital unit. The investment comes as the young company reaches the commercialization stage for its technology and is bringing its gender-testing machine for eggs to the market. Together with co-investor VisVires New Protein Capital, Evonik Venture Capital has provided several million euros in further funding. Evonik Venture Capital first invested in the Leiden, Netherlands-based company in 2018, providing support for a technology that helps solve one of the egg industry’s biggest ethical problems.
Univar Solutions Inc., a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, and Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, signed a new agreement to expand the partnership into the United States and Canadian food ingredients markets. The new food ingredients agreement takes effect May 1, one month after the companies announced an exclusive agreement expanding the partnership into the United States and Canadian beverage production, homecare, and industrial cleaning markets.
Amyris, a leading synthetic biotechnology company in Clean Health and Beauty markets through its consumer brands, and a top supplier of sustainable and natural ingredients, successfully scaled up the commercial production of Cannabigerol (CBG) leveraging its industrial fermentation process capability.
Green Plains Inc. and Novozymes signed an exclusive partnership and commercialization agreement for biological solutions in the production of high protein ingredients. The partnership will be aimed at aquaculture, pet food, as well as novel ingredients to be used in the global protein markets.
Braskem, the world’s leading biopolymer producer, signed a collaboration agreement with the prestigious European research center Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB) for the development of renewable solutions. Specializing in scientific projects, the center will be an important partner for advancing new research and development routes based on natural resources, which will contribute to progress in sustainable, innovative solutions and economically viable for manufacturers and society as a whole.
Make a direct impact on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6, aiming at securing universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. This is the scope, when the world’s leading expert in enzymes and microorganisms, Novozymes, and Grundfos, the global leader in advanced pump technologies, enter an open innovation collaboration.
Unilever and Bio-on started a strategic partnership to develop, produce and sell personal hygiene and care products that guarantee a smaller or no environmental impact. Using patented bio-technologies for natural, biodegradable microplastics production, Unilever and Bio-on are taking an important step towards building a more sustainable economy and more responsible consumption in the personal care sector.
IL BIOECONOMISTA 