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Future of BioInvest

April 22 and 23, 2026

Future of BioInvestments: Sustainable. Innovative. Economical.

FoB:Invest was the new pitch and matchmaking event within Ceresana’s successful Future of Bio (FoB) series. It brought high-potential bioeconomy startups together with leading European investors, industry partners, and funding institutions. FoB:Invest supported innovation across the entire bioeconomy value chain, with the aim of helping promising technologies move from concept to market — from bio-based materials and industrial biotechnology to circular economy and CO₂-utilization solutions. As an online financing format, FoB:Invest focused exclusively on startups in the bioeconomy.

Key facts

  • Date: April 22-23, 2026
  • Format: online pitch event
  • Language: English
  • Platform: MS Teams
  • Access: for selected participants

What makes the event special?

FoB:Invest combined a precisely structured pitch format with a curated selection of participating startups. The startups not only presented their innovative technologies and services, but also gained access to a highly qualified network of financial and strategic investors, clusters, and technology funding organisations. The event took place entirely online — efficient, international, and limited to a selected professional audience.

Online pitches
Award ceremony
1:1 networking

The Platform for Investable Bioeconomy Solutions

Bioeconomy innovations are shaping the industries of tomorrow. Bio-based materials — including bioplastics and packaging, bio-based construction materials, coatings, paints, and adhesives — as well as new fermentation processes, enzyme technologies, and circular resource models are enabling more sustainable solutions for chemicals, packaging, construction, agriculture, and consumer and industrial goods.

With the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy presented in November 2025, which aims to support bio-based innovation and establish lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies, this transition received additional political momentum. Yet bringing an idea to market requires more than scientific excellence: it requires capital, partnerships, and access to markets.

FoB:Invest connected startups, investors, and established market players to showcase promising technologies and support their scale-up. In a professional pitch format, financing potential met entrepreneurial vision: investors gained access to qualified deal flow, startups received visibility and feedback, and SMEs as well as large corporations were able to discover new partners for pilot projects and technology integration. In this way, FoB:Invest helped create a shared foundation for growth, value creation, and the transition towards a resource-efficient, climate-friendly economy.

Event brochure

Intro and Keynote from Ceresana

Who was the Event for?

Startups & scaleups: FoB:Invest was designed for innovative companies in the bioeconomy that were actively seeking funding — from university or institutional spin-offs and soon-to-be startups to young companies, scale-ups, and technology-driven SMEs. The focus was on teams with scalable business models, strong technological differentiation, and a clear financing need, for example at Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, B, or C stage. These startups applied for one of the pitch slots in front of a qualified investor audience to present their solution, market opportunity, and funding requirements.

Startups brochure

Apply now

Financial investors: The event addressed venture capital and corporate venture teams, business angels, specialised impact and climate-tech funds, as well as public and semi-public capital providers such as development banks and investment companies. It was aimed at decision-makers looking for qualified investment opportunities in the bioeconomy, bio-based materials, and industrial biotechnology. FoB:Invest offered them the opportunity to identify new portfolio candidates, sharpen and expand their investment focus, and gain early access to technologically promising startups.

Register now

Strategic investors: FoB:Invest also addressed companies seeking access to future technologies in the bioeconomy and exploring potential investments or strategic innovation impulses. It was particularly relevant for teams in M&A, innovation, strategy, R&D, and business development. They used FoB:Invest to gain early insight into emerging solutions and business models, meet relevant startups, and identify possible next steps for their own transformation and growth strategies.

Investors brochure

Our Sponsors

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Our Cluster Partners

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Our Partners

Our Media Partners

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Why Take Part?

TRL-based Pitch Sessions

FoB:Invest was designed for startups and technology teams from the sustainability and bioeconomy sectors at different stages of development. To ensure fair, relevant, and focused pitch sessions, the startup presentations were structured according to Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Grouping startups by comparable levels of maturity — from early technological validation to scale-up and market entry — ensured that each team met investors whose focus and expectations matched its development stage. This created a strong basis for targeted feedback, relevant contacts, and meaningful opportunities for the next phase of growth.

The event’s unique format addressed innovation-driven companies that were grouped under the term “startup” for the purpose of the event. This included newly founded ventures and scale-ups, as well as SMEs and corporate teams with new, market-oriented technologies aiming for sustainable growth and scalability.

Participants benefited from:

  • High-quality visibility among leading European investors
  • Opportunities for pilot projects and industrial partnerships
  • International reach and exposure
  • Prominent visibility on the event website and in LinkedIn posts reaching more than 25,000 industry contacts
  • Participation in the FoB:Invest Innovation Award, with the chance to be recognised as a finalist or winner for an outstanding technological innovation

The event brought together selected representatives from more than 100 venture capital and corporate venture teams, impact and climate funds, and development banks, mainly from across Europe.

Startups brochure

FoB:Invest Innovation Award

The FoB:Invest Innovation Award recognised the most compelling technological and market-ready bioeconomy innovation presented at the event. From all selected startups, eight finalists were nominated — and one winner was chosen.

ecoLocked was named the winner of the FoB:Invest Innovation Award, standing out with its innovative approach, strong market potential, and contribution to a more sustainable bioeconomy.#

Evaluation criteria for the FoB:Invest Innovation Award

The jury evaluated the participating startups according to the following criteria:

  • Technology and degree of innovation
  • Market potential and scalability
  • Maturity / traction
  • Team and execution capability
  • Sustainability and climate impact
  • Investability, including the clarity of the financial plan

Confirmed investors included, among others:

Agrana, Archipelago Ventures, Astanor, BASF Venture Capital, Bayern Kapital, Beyond Impact, Biotope Ventures, bmp Ventures, BOM (Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij), BonVenture Management, Business Angels Connect, capacura, CELL Investment, Circular Innovation Fund, Climate Founders, CMPC Ventures, Colesco Capital, Collateral Good, Companisto, CPI Enterprises, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, DOEN Ventures, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, Evonik Venture Capital, FCF Fox Corporate Finance, , Fraunhofer Venture, Fulcrum Asset Management, Green Generation Fund, Greiner Innoventures, Hawkwood Biotech & Genoa Ventures, HTGF, ICIG Ventures, ICOS Capital Management, Invest-NL, Ki Tua Fund (Fonterra), LBBW VC, Magfi, Navus, Pioneer Group, Prosemino Venture Studio, Rabo Ventures, Rubio, SHIFT Invest, Symbia VC, Taaleri Bioindustry, Ternholm Capital, UNIIQ (InnovationQuarter), UPM, and VP Capital.

Registered startups and scaleups included, for example:

17 Cicada, Adaptavate, Aerbio, AgriFoodX, AIMPLAS, Algiecel, Aurora Renewable Carbon, Badische Peptide und Proteine, BIOAMA, Bioataraxis, BioBond Adhesives, Biome Bioplastics, BIOPAK, Biophelion, Bioplasmar, BioTwin Limited, Blue Ocean Closures, Bluu, Cell2Green, Cellugy, CENER, CH-Bioforce, Circe BioTech, Cloondaff, COLLIX, Colorifix, Corn Next, CYNiO, Dawn Technologies, Deasyl, Demeter Bio, Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ), EcoCocon, ecoLocked, ecorbio, EcoStem Works, Eranova, ETB Global, EveryCarbon, Evoralis, Extracellular, FatrixGel/Tecnalia, Feltwood, Fibryx, Floronics, FluIDect, Fragrami, Fraunhofer ICT, GitLife Biotech, Grey Heron, Grown bio, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), iBoxit, Indresmat, Innomost, Lenera, Ligaro, LignEasy, Linium Biochemicals, Lixea, MarinaTex, Mercurius Biorefining, Mevaldi, MyBiotech, Mycolever, Nanomik Biotechnology, Natural negative, Natural Power International, Naturbeads, Neptunus Biotech, New Standard Oil, NEXOFAB Europe, Nova Biochem, Nova Pangaea Technologies, Novis, NUAB Chemical Technology, NUMY FlexCo, PhytoAR Biotechnologie, Plinius Labs, Proteo Biotech, Protzilla, Puregreen, PySAF, Revoltech, RWTH Aachen University, SENI Preps, SMEY Labs, Snow Polymers, Solid Air Dynamics, SomaTech, SurfactGreen, Sustanix, SymbioTex, Syntura, TerraWaste, The Sustainable People, TNO (polySCOUT), twig bio, Twogee Biotech, Tymba, VCG.AI, Woodtube, Woven Bio, Yeastime, and Zeefier.

For Investors

FoB:Invest was designed for VC and growth funds, climate and impact investors, corporate venture teams, as well as public and institutional investors focused on scalable solutions in the bioeconomy and sustainability sectors.

To make the pitch sessions as relevant as possible for all participants, the pitches were structured according to Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) — from early validation stages to scale-ups and market-ready solutions. This helped investors identify the topics and companies that best matched their investment strategy more efficiently.

FoB:Invest offered investors a centralised, selectively accessible platform for startup financing in the field of bioeconomy and sustainable technologies.

Investors could take part in FoB:Invest in different roles:

  • As participants: They could follow the pitch sessions, gain access to selected startups, and arrange direct 1:1 meetings after the event.
  • As jury members: They could contribute their expertise to the jury and actively take part in the decision-making process for the FoB:Invest Innovation Award.
  • As sponsors: They could also use FoB:Invest as a platform for visibility and positioning, for example as an Award, Platinum, or Gold Sponsor. Further details were available in the “Sponsors & Partners” section.

More detailed information for investors and on our sponsorship offers can be found under “Sponsors & Partners” or in the investor brochure

Confirmed investors included, among others:

Agrana, Archipelago Ventures, Astanor, BASF Venture Capital, Bayern Kapital, Beyond Impact, Biotope Ventures, bmp Ventures, BOM (Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij), BonVenture Management, Business Angels Connect, capacura, CELL Investment, Circular Innovation Fund, Climate Founders, CMPC Ventures, Colesco Capital, Collateral Good, Companisto, CPI Enterprises, DeepTech & Climate Fonds, DOEN Ventures, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, Evonik Venture Capital, FCF Fox Corporate Finance, , Fraunhofer Venture, Fulcrum Asset Management, Green Generation Fund, Greiner Innoventures, Hawkwood Biotech & Genoa Ventures, HTGF, ICIG Ventures, ICOS Capital Management, Invest-NL, Ki Tua Fund (Fonterra), LBBW VC, Magfi, Navus, Pioneer Group, Prosemino Venture Studio, Rabo Ventures, Rubio, SHIFT Invest, Symbia VC, Taaleri Bioindustry, Ternholm Capital, UNIIQ (InnovationQuarter), UPM, and VP Capital.

Registered startups and scaleups included, for example:

17 Cicada, Adaptavate, Aerbio, AgriFoodX, AIMPLAS, Algiecel, Aurora Renewable Carbon, Badische Peptide und Proteine, BIOAMA, Bioataraxis, BioBond Adhesives, Biome Bioplastics, BIOPAK, Biophelion, Bioplasmar, BioTwin Limited, Blue Ocean Closures, Bluu, Cell2Green, Cellugy, CENER, CH-Bioforce, Circe BioTech, Cloondaff, COLLIX, Colorifix, Corn Next, CYNiO, Dawn Technologies, Deasyl, Demeter Bio, Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum (DBFZ), EcoCocon, ecoLocked, ecorbio, EcoStem Works, Eranova, ETB Global, EveryCarbon, Evoralis, Extracellular, FatrixGel/Tecnalia, Feltwood, Fibryx, Floronics, FluIDect, Fragrami, Fraunhofer ICT, GitLife Biotech, Grey Heron, Grown bio, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), iBoxit, Indresmat, Innomost, Lenera, Ligaro, LignEasy, Linium Biochemicals, Lixea, MarinaTex, Mercurius Biorefining, Mevaldi, MyBiotech, Mycolever, Nanomik Biotechnology, Natural negative, Natural Power International, Naturbeads, Neptunus Biotech, New Standard Oil, NEXOFAB Europe, Nova Biochem, Nova Pangaea Technologies, Novis, NUAB Chemical Technology, NUMY FlexCo, PhytoAR Biotechnologie, Plinius Labs, Proteo Biotech, Protzilla, Puregreen, PySAF, Revoltech, RWTH Aachen University, SENI Preps, SMEY Labs, Snow Polymers, Solid Air Dynamics, SomaTech, SurfactGreen, Sustanix, SymbioTex, Syntura, TerraWaste, The Sustainable People, TNO (polySCOUT), twig bio, Twogee Biotech, Tymba, VCG.AI, Woodtube, Woven Bio, Yeastime, and Zeefier.

Evaluation Criteria for the Award

The jury evaluated according to the following criteria:

  • Degree of technology and innovation
  • Market potential & scalability
  • Maturity / traction
  • Team & implementation capability
  • Sustainability and climate impact
  • Investability (clarity of financial planning)

Position Your Brand as an Event Sponsor!

As a sponsor of Future of BioInvestments (FoB:Invest) you show commitment to innovation, bioeconomy, and scalable, sustainable technologies. You position your company where investable startups, investors, and decision-makers from the industry come into direct contact with each other.

Use FoB:Invest to

  • make your role as an investor, corporate, or institutional capital provider visible,
  • be noticed by founders, co-investors, and industry partners, and
  • be part of a growing, internationally oriented network in the bioeconomy environment.

Benefits of our network

As a sponsor, you benefit from our existing communication and network base:

  • Email campaigns to over 15,000 company contacts from the investment & bioeconomy sectors
  • LinkedIn communication to over 25,000 contacts
  • Logo presence on our event page with around 30,000 website visitors per month

Our prices:

AWARD

€ 2,000

One-time Fee

PLATINUM

€ 1,000

One-time Fee

GOLD

€ 750

One-time Fee

You can find detailed information on the benefits of the individual packages in our sponsorship brochure.

Become a Sponsor

Investors brochure

Become a Partner of FoB:Invest

Do you represent an association, a network, a research institution, or a non-profit organization related to the bioeconomy, climate-friendly technologies or sustainable materials, and to the promotion of innovation and investment in this field?

As a partner of FoB:Invest, you increase the visibility of your organization in an international, interdisciplinary environment. Meet experts from science, business, politics, civil society, and associations – and position yourself where the exchange on bioeconomic innovations, business models, and investment opportunities takes place.

Your benefits as a partner:

  • Logo and link on our event website
  • Visibility in our newsletter and on social media
  • Mention in our event documents
  • Partnership badge for your website & channels

What we would like from you:

  • Placement of our logo with link on your website
  • Promotion of the event via your channels (e.g. newsletter, social media)
  • If possible: the inclusion of our event in your event calendar

Together, we create visibility for the bioeconomy and connect relevant players who are shaping the future of sustainable technologies and investments.

Become a Partner

Brochure Partner BioInvest

Become a Media Partner of FoB:Invest

Do you run a specialist medium, a platform or an editorial format with a focus on bioeconomy, climate tech, sustainable materials, or impact investments?

As a media partner, you benefit from visibility in the environment of leading specialist players from science, businesses, and associations – and gain access to a targeted, topic-specific community.

Your benefits as a media partner:

  • Logo and link on the event website in the “media partners” section
  • Mention in our newsletter and on social media
  • Visibility of your medium on relevant event materials and landing pages
  • On request: editorial content

What we would like in return:

  • Publication of an event notice or editorial article in your medium
  • Inclusion of the event in your event calendar (if available)
  • Linking to the event page via your channels

Interested in a media partnership with targeted specialist reach? Become part of FoB:Invest and support the visibility of innovative bioeconomy solutions and investment opportunities.

Our Sponsors

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Our Cluster Partners

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Our Partners

Our Media Partners

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Agenda

To ensure the best possible matches between startups, technology owners, and investors, FoB:Invest structures its sessions along Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Startup pitches are grouped by comparable stages of technological and commercial maturity – from early validation to scale-up and market deployment. This approach allows investors to focus on technologies aligned with their investment strategy, while startups benefit from targeted feedback, relevant contacts, and meaningful exchange.

All times are in CEST.

Wednesday 22. April

09:00 a.m.
–
09:30 a.m.

  • Introduction und Investor-Keynotes
  • Oliver Kutsch (Ceresana)
    Financing the Green Transition – Why innovation and investment must come together
  • Dr Vanessa Luzak (Bayern Kapital GmbH)
    Venture Capital for Bavaria
  • Dr Jen Vanderhoven (Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA))
    From Innovation to Investment: Unlocking Value for the Bio-Based Sector
  • Arnaud Backbier  (Biotech Booster )
    Opportunity to access the acceleration of commercialization of biotechnology in The Netherlands

09:30 a.m.
–
01:00 p.m.

  • Startup Pitches: Research/Prototype (TRL 1–4 / Pre-Seed) and Pilot Phase (TRL 5–6 / Seed) Part 1
  • Stefan T. Schwaab (Puregreen GmbH)
  • Dr Peter Knight/ Samantha Bryan (17Cicada Ltd)
  • Joana Kappes (Ligaro)
  • Dr Marisa Sárria Pereira de Passos (MAGnexa)
  • Dr Sebastian Beblawy (EveryCarbon)
  • Dr Britta Winterberg (Mycolever GmbH)
  • Christina Rode (Hulk Bio)
  • Arthur Moree (Grown bio )
  • Pieter Imhof/ Ellen de Ruiter (TNO, polySCOUT)
  • Dr Shailendra Vyakarnam (TerraWaste Holdig BV)
  • Petri Mast (ETB Global BV)
  • Dr.-Ing.Sascha Schriever/ Dr.-Ing. Christian Schwotzer (Solid Air Dynamics GmbH)
  • Tom Robinson (Adaptavate)
  • Arjen van Veen (COLLIX S.r.l.)
  • Dr Pablo Ferrero Aguar (AIMPLAS)
  • Dr Maria Gonçalves-Maia (Lenera)
  • Dr Dirk Hollmann (Cell2Green GmbH)
  • Sylwester Paprocki (BIOPAK Sp. z o.o.)
  • Sebastian Hinz/ Pierre Munzel (TYMBA GmbH)
  • Finn-Henri Smidt (Floronics)
  • Armin Waldschmidt (Natural Power International AG)
  • George O’Malley (Cloondaff Ltd.)
  • Marco Pieterse (SENI Preps BV)
  • Sami Selkälä (Innomost Oy)
  • Dr Holly Reeve (HydRegen)
  • Jonathan Edmunds (Woodly)

01:00 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

02:00 p.m.
–
05:00 p.m.

  • Startup Pitches: Market Entry (TRL 7–8 / Series A) Part 1
  • Dr Mario Schmitt (ecoLocked GmbH)
  • Dr Thomas Helle (Novis GmbH)
  • Zoe Victor-Andresen (FluIDect GmbH)
  • Christoph Kutzner (Badische Peptide und Proteine (BPP) GmbH)
  • Dr Tobias Cors/Jens Balko/Marcus Vater (Syntura)
  • Susanne Palsten Buchardt (Algiecel)
  • Isabel Alvarez-Martos (Cellugy)
  • Dr Nazende Günday-Türeli (MyBiotech GmbH)
  • Dr Amir Al Ghatta (Bioataraxis ltd)
  • Giovanna Laudisio (Naturbeads)
  • Lars-Gunnar Horgby (Woodtube Sales Sweden AB)
  • Anne Boermans/ Bianca Zomer (Zeefier)
  • Henning Tschunt (PROSERVATION GmbH)
  • George Azpiri (Proteo Biotech)

5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

Thursday 23. April

09:00 a.m.
–
09:30 a.m.

  • Introduction und Investor-Keynotes
  • Robert Kunzmann (AC Biode)
  • Viviana Hermosilla (CMPC Ventures)
  • Andrea González G. Vega (Spainsif )
  • René Reijtenbagh (Business Angels Connect)

09:30 a.m.
–
01:00 p.m.

  • Startup Pitches: Pilot Phase (TRL 5–6 / Seed) Part 2
  • Frank Wallrapp (Twogee Biotech GmbH)
  • Dr. Lars Regestein (Biophelion GmbH)
  • Beatrix Ellis (GitLife Biotech Ltd)
  • Vicente Lopez (CENER)
  • Peter Mangnus (Dawn Technologies)
  • Roger Ottenheym (Mevaldi)
  • Montgomery Wagner (Revoltech GmbH)
  • Prof Graham Bonwick (AgriFoodX)
  • David Drew (Circe BioTech)
  • Alex Braun (SNOW POLYMERS)
  • Dr Daniel Kaute (Evoralis)
  • Paul Réthy (BLUU GmbH)
  • Flávio Baleeiro/ Maria Braune (Capraferm)
  • Russ Tucker (twig bio)
  • Dr Tony Callaghan (SomaTech Limited)
  • Charmaine Cu-Unjieng (NaturLoop)
  • Pavel Elizarev (SMEY Labs GmbH)
  • Sarvesh Poddar (Sustanix)
  • Matěj Prokop (EcoStem Works s.r.o.)

01:00 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

02:00 p.m.
–
05:00 p.m.

  • Startup Pitches: Market Entry (TRL 7–8 / Series A) Part 2 and Scaling (TRL 9 / Later-Stage)
  • Ludovic Sinet (Linium Biochemicals)
  • Sophie Vaud (Colorifix Ltd.)
  • Andreas Koch (Fibryx GmbH)
  • Olivier Enos (Deasyl SA)
  • Jon Goriup (VCG.AI)
  • Kaspar Kristiansen (Aerbio)
  • Stewart Stewart (Nova Pangaea Technologies)
  • Paul Mines/ Marta Tous Mohedano (VerdiChem)
  • Olivia Simpson (SymbioTex)
  • Will Milligan (Extracellular)
  • Juho-Matti Karpale (LignEasy)
  • Pablo Rodríguez Outón (INDRESMAT)
  • Marcel Burgstaller (istraw.group)
  • Dr Lari Vähäsalo (CH-Bioforce Oy)
  • John Farley (iBoxit)
  • Sophie Tuviahu (Bioplasmar Ltd.)
  • Juste Stupuraite (EcoCocon)
  • Moritz Laackmann-Schreyer (The Sustainable People GmbH)
  • Dr. Leopoldo Herrera (Neptunus Biotech Ltd)
  • Lars Sandberg (Blue Ocean Closures)
  • Xavier Roussel (SurfactGreen)
  • Pablo Sanchez-Rey (FatrixGel/Tecnalia)
  • Marc McConnaughey (BioBond Adhesives, Inc.)
  • Mark Simmers(Celtic Renewables)

5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

Our Speakers & Experts

FoB:Invest Innovation Award Winner

ecoLocked

ecoLocked has been selected as the winner of the FoBInvest Innovation Award 2026.

The company impressed the jury with its innovative approach to climate-friendly construction. ecoLocked develops CO₂-negative materials for the built environment and works on transforming captured carbon into functional concrete materials — helping turn buildings into long-term carbon sinks.

By addressing embodied emissions in the construction sector, ecoLocked contributes to one of the most urgent transformation challenges in the built environment: enabling more sustainable building practices at scale while creating long-lasting carbon storage solutions.

The award was presented as part of FoBInvest – Future of BioInvestments, Ceresana’s online event connecting innovative bioeconomy startups with investors, corporates, and strategic partners.

Congratulations to the entire ecoLocked team on this well-deserved recognition.

Learn more: https://www.ecolocked.com/

Our Jury

Charlie Macdonald, Rubio

Investment Manager

Charlie is an investor at Rubio, a leading European impact fund focusing on Seed and Series A companies. Originally Australian, Charlie grew up on a farm, has an MBA from University of Melbourne, and worked in impact VC for 8 years, investing into more than 40 companies with a strong focus on Agrifood and Energy.

Dr. Pelin Yilmaz, ICIG Ventures/ICI Holding

Investment Director

Dr Pelin Yilmaz is Investment Director at ICIG Ventures, where she leads investments in industrial biotechnology, sustainable chemistry, and advanced materials. Her focus is on partnering with early-stage startups developing transformative technologies

Viviana Hermosilla, CMPC Ventures

Innovation and Technical Lead Europe

Viviana Hermosilla brings over 15 years of experience in the forest industry and holds a Ph.D. from KTH, Sweden. She leads technical evaluations for strategic investments and global partnerships, with a strong focus on bridging advanced scientific research and industrial application. Her work centers on identifying scalable, bio-based startups with the potential to drive the future of the bioeconomy.

Dr. Elisabeth Schrey, DeepTech & Climate Fonds

Managing Director

Elisabeth is Managing Director at DTCF, where she leads investments in industrial tech, sustainability, and climate tech. Previously, she worked with Matterwave Ventures, btov Partners, and TechVision Fund, focusing on early-stage industrial technologies. Elisabeth studied Industrial Engineering and holds a PhD in Innovation Management from RWTH Aachen University.

Andrea González G. Vega, Spainsif

General Director

Biodiversity is increasingly in the spotlight of corporate sustainability, not only for its intrinsic value in maintaining ecosystem balance, but also for its decisive role in economic and social stability. The challenge now is not only to increase biodiversity financial literacy but also to inspire, enabling the various actors of the financial system to take a leading role in building a financial environment aligned with biodiversity.

Chloe Zhang, CPI Enterprises

Investor Relationships Manager

Chloe is Investor Relationships Manager of CPI Enterprises, based in London to expand the deep tech investor community, and to engage with academia and SMEs to explore potential investment and partnership opportunities. She’s also the advisor to a Chinese family office, a mentor at MassChallenge & UCL Hatchery, and UK Chapter at ImpactVC community.

Dr. Nik Raupp, HTGF

Partner

After working in the chemical industry in Europe and Asia for over 10 years, Nik has joined the Life Science & Chemistry Investment Team of HTGF in 2021. Nik has invested in several biotech start-ups driving the change from fossil to renewable / circular raw materials.

Anne Helfer, Biotope Ventures

Startup support manager

Anne supports early stage biotech founders at biotope by VIB, helping them turn breakthrough science into planetary health solutions. With a background in plant molecular biology and experience in both academia and industry, Anne has built strong expertise in translating research into practical solutions for agriculture and food.

Remco Feijten, Circle Solution – Bioeconomy & Circular Materials R&D

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Marius THEBAULT, Circular Innovation Fund

Principal

Marius Thebault is a growth and climate-tech investor with over six years of experience in private equity and venture capital across Europe and North America, with a focus on circular economy and resource-efficiency themes.

Robert Kunzmann, AC Biode

COO & Co-Founder

COO & Co-Founder AC Biode Luxembourg, specialising on chemical recycling. Robert has 8-year experience as an engineer & serial entrepreneur, after 4 years as researcher at the University of Cambridge where he specialized in sustainable transportation.

René Reijtenbagh, Business Angels Connect

Founder and CEO

Business Angels Connect is a Benelux Green Chemistry & Circularity private investors network. We are well aligned in the Dutch Green Chemistry eco-system and across Europe we work together with colleague private investors networks.

Andreas von Richter, LBBW VC GmbH

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Claire Smith, Beyond Impact

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Sagar Tandon, Beyond Impact

Partner

Sagar Tandon is a Partner at Beyond Impact VC, investing in humane, decarbonising, and regenerative B2B solutions globally. He also advises the Society for Cell Agriculture APAC and supports several climate initiatives, including WePlanet.org and Atlan.fi, EIT NEB, Good Food Institute, Big Ideas Ventures, Fashion For Good, Rethinking Materials as a strategic advisor, speaker, and mentor. A 2X Global Forum member, he promotes gender and climate-smart impact investing.

Laura Mendera, Clear

Director of Business Development

Laura Mendera is the Director of Business Development at Clear, a financial advisory boutique that supports clean and climate tech ventures in connecting with the right investors and scaling effectively. With a background in criminal law and international tax law, she brings a sharp analytical foundation and strategic insight to identifying and qualifying ventures with the potential to accelerate the energy transition.
As an entrepreneur herself, Laura offers a pragmatic understanding of business growth and the challenges founders face. This combination of entrepreneurial experience, legal acumen, and market awareness defines her role as a connector between innovation, financing, and sustainable progress.
At Clear, she leads the firm’s commercial strategy and front-end engagement, bridging promising companies with the internal advisory team and an extensive network of investors across Europe. Laura plays a pivotal role in shaping strategic relationships, interpreting market dynamics, and facilitating introductions that enable innovative ventures to access new growth opportunities. Her ambition is clear: to foster meaningful connections between innovators and capital, ensuring that breakthrough technologies such as hydrogen can scale and truly transform the energy landscape.

Viktoria Royeck, Capacura

Junior Investment Analyst

Economist working as Investment Analyst at capacura, dedicated to shaping the future of our economy and society through a value-driven approach. My work focuses on the intersection of sustainability and technology to drive meaningful impact.

Mariana Gonzalez, Collateral Good

Co-Founder & Principal

Mariana is Co founder and Principal at Collateral Good, with seven years of venture capital experience across sourcing, due diligence, investment execution, and active portfolio support. She previously spent four years in retail and logistics, including three in ecommerce, and grew up closely exposed to the retail industry through her family’s business in Mexico, gaining early experience in sourcing, buying, and operations. She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Anahuac University in Mexico City.

Xandra Weinbeck, Invest-NL

Senior Business Development Manager - Materials - Circular Economy

Xandra Weinbeck works for the Netherlands’ national promotional institute Invest-NL, where she accelerates the transition toward a carbon neutral economy through bio-based and circular solutions, deeptech innovation, agrifood advancements, and life sciences. Drawing on over 20 years of experience in the (bio)chemical and semiconductor industries, she develops financial instruments, market strategies, and direct investment opportunities that enable pioneering companies to scale.

Vatshal Bhanushali, Hawkwood Biotech & Genoa Ventures

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Graham Sinclair, Harvard

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Lucy Mortimer, Archipelago Ventures Ltd

Founding Partner

Lucy Mortimer is an environmental finance specialist with over 25 years’ experience within climate finance and low carbon investment. Lucy has a strong commercial background, having built businesses and teams across large financial institutions including Tradition and Nedbank. She has advised and worked for funds including Althelia’s first Natural Capital investment fund and has an excellent network to help startups and young companies succeed in overcoming commercial barriers.

Katarzyna Gil, ICOS Capital Management

Principal

Katarzyna Gil is a Principal, Sustainable Food Systems at Collaborative Venture Capital firm - ICOS Capital. She holds 10+ years’ experience in foodtech innovations and 5+ years of experience in investing in FoodTech and AgriTech sectors. She holds a master's degree in pharmacy and she completed a Ph.D. in Food Chemistry. During her research career, she worked in the fields of green extraction techniques, food science, food waste valorization, and analytical chemistry. She carried out international collaboration between Mediterranean countries - BESTMEDGRAPE, focused on New Business opportunities and Environmental sustainability using MED GRAPE nanotechnological products.

Our Sponsors

Vanessa Luzak, Bayern Kapital GmbH

Investment Analyst

“Life science investments demand more than capital. They require deep technological understanding, experience across development cycles, and the ability to support companies through long and complex value creation paths. With decades of investment experience, we bring exactly that combination to the table.”

Our Cluster Partners

Dr Jen Vanderhoven, BBIA

CEO

"Now is the moment to invest in the bioeconomy because innovation is no longer the bottleneck—scale and capital are. Bio-based solutions are moving from pilot to market, driven by climate urgency, resource security, and consumer demand. Those who invest today will define tomorrow’s industrial backbone."

Arnaud Backbier, biotechbooster

TC 1 Manager

"Europe is a leading force in biotechnology, now we need to make that technology into business. Have early access to interesting biotechnology."

Our Tech Owners

Sophie Tuviahu, Bioplasmar Ltd.

CEO

Bioplasmar is a scale-up company developing high-performance bio-composites made from locally sourced green waste, designed to replace conventional plastics in applications where biodegradability delivers a clear end-of-life advantage. Built on circular-economy principles, Bioplasmar currently supplies the horticultural sector with fully biodegradable planting pots. These products are certified OK Biodegradable in Soil by TÜV Austria, enabling direct planting without waste recovery or soil contamination.

Dr. Mario Schmitt, ecoLocked GmbH

CEO & Managing Director

ecoLocked turns buildings into permanent carbon sinks with CO2-negative building materials made from waste biocarbon. Our certified concrete admixes substitute cement or aggregates and enable the construction industry to effectively address residual emissions while maintaining high structural integrity. With our new Carbon-to-Concrete platform, ecoLocked’s solution can be rolled out by local partners worldwide.

Stefan T. Schwaab, Puregreen GmbH

Chief Marketing Officer

Puregreen provides 100% plant-based packaging, specializing in sugarcane bagasse for the European food sector. We believe composting is the optimal biological cycle for food-soiled paper where traditional recycling fails. Our products are dual-certified for industrial and home composting.
Key Advantages:
EUDR Exempt: As non-wood fiber, we eliminate deforestation compliance risks and simplify customs.
Low Carbon: Sugarcane’s rapid growth ensures superior carbon sequestration and faster biodegradation.
Innovation: With functional coatings under 5%, we achieve full home compostability, solving the challenge of traditional coated-paper waste.

Pablo R. Outón, INDRESMAT

tba

Yves Boonen, Plinius Labs

tba

Frank Wallrapp, Twogee Biotech GmbH

CEO

Twogee Biotech is a biotechnology company founded in 2024 and headquartered in Martinsried, Munich. Based on their innovative platform, the company develops customized enzyme and strain solutions for the industrial conversion of biogenic side and residual streams into sustainable second-generation raw materials. Twogee enables efficient utilization of biomass residues and supports the chemical industry in transitioning toward circular, low-CO₂ value creation—economically, scalably, and customer-focused.

Arthur Moree, Grown bio

COO and co-founder

Grown Bio produces a bio-based, biodegradable alternative to EPS (‘Styrofoam’) packaging using mycelium and organic waste fibers. We design and literately grown tailor-made protective packaging for our customer via a scalable process. Between 2022 and 2025, our pilot factory successfully validated market demand and worked with paying customers to prove commercial viability and technical feasibility. Currently we are seeking funding to engineer and build our 1st commercial factory (FOAK). This enables us to meet market demands in terms of quantities and pricing.

Philippe michon, Eranova

tba

Abhinav, ecorbio

tba

Pieter Imhof, TNO, polySCOUT

Commercial

polySCOUT accelerates the development of innovative biobased polymers by combining the use of advanced AI and experimental methodologies. The polymer market requires novel safe and sustainable materials, taking full advantage of the versatile characteristics of plastics, while mitigating the dark sides. Our entrepreneurial team combines wide AI, polymer and business expertise to make that happen. We will introduce innovative, cost effective polymers in the specialty polymer market with improved material characteristics, better safety and end-of-life performance with a lower environmental impact.

Ellen de Ruiter, TNO, polySCOUT

Business Development

polySCOUT accelerates the development of innovative biobased polymers by combining the use of advanced AI and experimental methodologies. The polymer market requires novel safe and sustainable materials, taking full advantage of the versatile characteristics of plastics, while mitigating the dark sides. Our entrepreneurial team combines wide AI, polymer and business expertise to make that happen. We will introduce innovative, cost effective polymers in the specialty polymer market with improved material characteristics, better safety and end-of-life performance with a lower environmental impact.

Dr. Thomas Helle, Novis GmbH

CEO

Novis is a biobased technology provider. Novis manufactures installations for Carbon Capture, to help industries, to decarbonize. Captured CO2 is then used, to produce biopolymers, pigments or fertilizer by specialized algae. Companies are offered test installations of CC unit and/or algae growing units. Novis is then buying from the company the CO2 or the produced biomass. This process offers great benefits to the company, as it gives CO2 a real value.
The first installations already have been commissioned at industrial sites. The upscaling towards 10.000 tons annually will be achieved in 2027.

Pierfrancesco Mazzolini, Yeastime

tba

Dr Shailendra Vyakarnam, TerraWaste Holdig BV

CEO

TerraWaste is solving one of the hardest problems in the circular economy: what to do with low-grade, mixed plastic waste that cannot be mechanically recycled and is today landfilled, incinerated, or exported. Our proprietary HTLoop™ hydrothermal liquefaction process converts this contaminated waste into high-value circular oil suitable for petrochemical cracking—without the inefficiencies of traditional pyrolysis. We unlock feedstock previously considered unrecyclable, reduce lifecycle CO₂, and strengthen Europe’s raw material resilience. With strong IP, pilot validation underway, and engagement from major polymer producers, TerraWaste represents a scalable, capital-efficient pathway to decarbonise plastics at industrial scale.

Marc McConnaughey, BioBond Adhesives, Inc.

CEO

BioBond Adhesives, Inc. is a materials technology company developing advanced, high-performance plant-based adhesives and protective coatings engineered to replace traditional petroleum-based products. Based in the USA, BioBond’s solutions are formulated without added microplastics, harsh odors, or high VOCs, and are designed for strength and broad industrial use. The company’s biobased materials help accelerate the transition toward safer, more sustainable bonding and coating technologies across multiple sectors.

Dr. Tobias Schröter, FluIDect GmbH

CEO

We bring advanced pathogen and protein detection in robust instruments directly to the production site, enabling seamless process monitoring and control.

Juste Stupuraite, EcoCocon

International Expansion Manager

EcoCocon is an international scale-up industrializing the building sector with the world’s most certified straw panel system. Our modular solution, composed of 98% raw, renewable materials, integrates structure, insulation, and airtightness while sequestering approximately 100 kg of CO2 per m2. With 15 years of experience and a proven sales record across 25 countries, we are leveraging newly automated production to scale our manufacturing footprint across Europe. We are setting a high-capacity, low-carbon standard, with an ambition to drive the construction industry towards circular and sustainable future.

Rob Allen, Woven Bio

tba

Petri Mast, ETB Global BV

Chief Business Development Officer

ETB Globa BV is founded in 2020, located at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus. At ETB Global, we have developed a breakthrough solution: a proprietary one-step catalytic process that converts bio-ethanol into 100% bio-based polymer-grade butadiene, delivering a segregated product rather than a balance-of-mass certificate. Our recyclable heterogeneous catalyst achieves >70% selectivity with three years of industrial lifetime, while reducing CO₂ emissions by 70% compared to fossil processes. The result is a drop-in molecule fully compatible with existing downstream applications, enabling the industry to decarbonise without disruption.We have validated the technology at pilot scale (TRL 6),progressing to TRL 8 in the next 24-36 months

Sophie Vaud, Colorifix

CTO

Colorifix is a biotechnology company that aims to bring a novel, sustainable and environmentally friendly process to the textile dyeing industry by eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals as well as allowing for large savings in water and energy use. Colorifix has been recognised by winning awards in both synthetic biology and fashion and sustainability, and was shortlisted for the Earthshot Prize in 2023. Colorifix technology has been implemented in multiple dye houses in Europe and is now strengthening it's European customer base with ton-scale production capacity whilst expanding it's activities in Asia.

Moritz Laackmann-Schreyer, The Sustainable People GmbH

Operations, logistics & process management

The Sustainable People is a Hamburg-based manufacturer of eco-designed bin liners, dog waste bags, cat litter box liners and other innovative film products. Our goal is to measurably reduce the environmental impact of plastic by using certified biodegradable and recycled materials. We combine ecological responsibility with proven quality, competitive pricing, modern design, fact-based communication and awareness-building. Serving municipalities, companies and consumers across Europe, we offer practical and scalable solutions that support a more sustainable everyday life - without compromising on performance or reliability.

Dr.-Ing. Christian Schwotzer, Solid Air Dynamics GmbH

CFO

Solid Air Dynamics develops sustainable cellulose aerogel fibers for the next generation of insulation materials that are environmentally friendly and recyclable. Aerogels are high-tech materials with outstanding properties, especially a very low weight and a high insulating effect. Compared to conventional aerogels, which are produced as rigid solids or granulates, Solid Air Dynamics invented flexible aerogel fibers, which can be manufactured and processed cost-effectively, unlocking the potential for mass market applications in textile and civil engineering.

Dr.-Ing. Sascha Schriever, Solid Air Dynamics GmbH

CEO

Solid Air Dynamics develops sustainable cellulose aerogel fibers for the next generation of insulation materials that are environmentally friendly and recyclable. Aerogels are high-tech materials with outstanding properties, especially a very low weight and a high insulating effect. Compared to conventional aerogels, which are produced as rigid solids or granulates, Solid Air Dynamics invented flexible aerogel fibers, which can be manufactured and processed cost-effectively, unlocking the potential for mass market applications in textile and civil engineering.

Tom Robinson, Adaptavate

CEO and Founder of Adaptavate

Adaptavate is answering the urgent call to decarbonise construction globally, by developing the carbon-negative technologies and products needed, and the industrial ecosystem to deploy them fast, anywhere in the world.

Christoph Kutzner, Badische Peptide und Proteine (BPP) GmbH

CEO & CSO

BPP was founded in 2020 by Christoph Kutzner in Mannheim with laboratory space in the Heidelberg Business Development Center. Two of the BPP technologies enable cost efficient, green Deal compatible production of pure, arbitrary linear and circular peptide sequences. Our third green Deal technology platform is called BPP Bioportide™. It is a swift, multifunctional tool for “communicating” with your cell of interest. These technologies are the core of the “Better Peptides Platform”. We are better with nature, not better than nature!

Arjen van Veen, COLLIX S.r.l.

CEO

COLLIX develops LINDER, a scalable binder technology that reduces both cost and carbon in wood panel manufacturing. The platform partially substitutes fossil-based resins with engineered bio-based ingredients derived from commoditized oilseeds. Industrial OSB trials validated 12–15% substitution of pMDI, delivering meaningful binder cost reduction potential without a green premium. Designed for integration with existing resin systems, LINDER helps mills lower exposure to fossil binder volatility while improving product carbon footprint. COLLIX operates an asset-light licensing model and is raising €1M to complete industrial scale-up and secure first licensing agreements.

Leopoldo Herrera Rodriguez, Neptunus Biotech Ltd

tba

Leopoldo Herrera Rodriguez, Neptunus Biotech Ltd

CEO and Co-founder

Neptunus Biotech is a TRL-9 scale-up revolutionizing agriculture through marine biotechnology. By leveraging the evolutionary link between microalgae—the "ancestors of plants"—and modern crops, we develop high-performance biostimulants that "strengthen" plants against heat, cold, irradiation and drought stress. Our proprietary, solvent-free extraction process operates utilizing CO2-fixing photobioreactors to create sustainable agricultural inputs (biostimulants). With our flagship brand, Nerthus, already delivering proven ROI for farmers in 5 countries, Neptunus Biotech is now scaling its industrial infrastructure to meet the global demand for climate-resilient food systems.

Armin Waldschmidt, Natural Power International AG

Founder CEO

Natural-Power International AG is a Swiss deep-tech company developing next-generation mineral binders and silicate-based technologies for sustainable construction. The company focuses on modified potassium silicate solutions that enhance durability, fire resistance, moisture stability, and environmental performance of wood, engineered wood products, and mineral building materials. Natural-Power enables higher biomass use in buildings while reducing the need for synthetic chemicals and cement-based systems. With strong IP, scalable industrial processes, and international partnerships, the company aims to accelerate the global transition toward low-carbon, high-performance construction materials.

Dr Peter Knight, 17 Cicada

CEO

17Cicada is a spin-out biotech company from the University of Nottingham turning mixed, landfill-bound waste into high-value FDCA, a key monomer for next-generation high-performance and recyclable plastics. Our patented two-step microbial platform first converts heterogeneous waste into biomass, then turns this biomass to FDCA, achieving low-carbon production at attractive unit economics. Using abundant, often negative-cost waste feedstocks creates a widening cost and sustainability moat, while offtake interest from leading plastics and coatings manufacturers underpins a capital-light CDMO-plus-licensing scale-up model across high-value industrial applications.

Samantha Bryan, 17 Cicada

CTO

17Cicada is a spin-out biotech company from the University of Nottingham turning mixed, landfill-bound waste into high-value FDCA, a key monomer for next-generation high-performance and recyclable plastics. Our patented two-step microbial platform first converts heterogeneous waste into biomass, then turns this biomass to FDCA, achieving low-carbon production at attractive unit economics. Using abundant, often negative-cost waste feedstocks creates a widening cost and sustainability moat, while offtake interest from leading plastics and coatings manufacturers underpins a capital-light CDMO-plus-licensing scale-up model across high-value industrial applications.

Dr Pablo Ferrero Aguar, AIMPLAS

Biotechnology Group Leader

AIMPLAS is the technology center of plastics with strong expertise in the field of synthesis and formulation of bioplastics and a deep knowledge in their biodegradation. AIMPLAS poses a wide dataset of biodegradation materials under different conditions which together with his knowledge has been utilized for the development of a biodegradation prediction tool. This tool allows rapid screening biodegradation of different formulations, saving time and investments in material development, and permit the users to understand how additives and blends affect the biodegradation behavior.

Giovanna Laudisio, Naturbeads

CEO

Naturbeads is a sustainable ingredients company commercializing an innovative particles technology platform. Our first product to market is plant-based cellulose microspheres designed to replace microplastics across a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. By tackling microplastic pollution at the source, Naturbeads enables brands to meet tightening regulations and sustainability goals without compromising product performance. Building on this foundation, our business vision is to become a global leader in sustainable particles technologies with several innovation in our pipeline including porous, coloured and functionalized microspheres and microcapsules.

Russ Tucker, twig bio

Co-Founder and CEO

Using their AI platform, Twig Bio redesigns the biological code of microbes, creating miniscule factories that can produce hundreds of chemicals and ingredients normally sourced from fossil fuels or intensive farming. They use data from their automated wet-lab to train their AI, initially focusing on microbe designs to create bioingredients for the cosmetics and personal care industry.

John Farley, iBoxit

CEO

Boxit is a UK-based agri-tech company focused on developing sustainable, high-performance alternatives to expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging. Founded by John Farley, it combines scientific research and industry expertise to create compostable, carbon-negative packaging from agricultural and waste materials. Its solutions match or exceed EPS in strength and insulation while reducing pollution and landfill waste. iBoxit also integrates antimicrobial technologies that extend food shelf life, improving efficiency in cold-chain logistics. By addressing environmental, economic, and food safety challenges, iBoxit positions itself at the forefront of circular economy innovation in global packaging and supply chains.

Marta Tous Mohedano, VerdiChem

CEO and Founder

VerdiChem is an industrial biotechnology spin-out developing a sustainable production platform for high-value bio-based aromatic chemicals. Using proprietary microbial fermentation and downstream processing technology, we convert renewable feedstocks into performance molecules traditionally derived from fossil resources. Our initial focus is on specialty applications in cosmetics and personal care, where bio-based aromatics can deliver differentiated functionality alongside reduced carbon intensity. As the technology scales, VerdiChem will expand into materials applications such as polymers and textiles, enabling broader impact across the chemical value chain.

Paul Mines, VerdiChem

NED Chair

VerdiChem is an industrial biotechnology spin-out developing a sustainable production platform for high-value bio-based aromatic chemicals. Using proprietary microbial fermentation and downstream processing technology, we convert renewable feedstocks into performance molecules traditionally derived from fossil resources. Our initial focus is on specialty applications in cosmetics and personal care, where bio-based aromatics can deliver differentiated functionality alongside reduced carbon intensity. As the technology scales, VerdiChem will expand into materials applications such as polymers and textiles, enabling broader impact across the chemical value chain.

Lucy Hughes, MarinaTex

tba

Prof Graham Bonwick, AgriFoodX

Director/ Co-Founder

AgriFoodX was established in 2019 by the co-founders Catherine Birch and Graham Bonwick with a mission of achieving zero waste. It is focused on the valorisation of agrifood by-products and has undertaken research and development to generate materials for use in sustainable packaging, biocomposites, food and feed ingredients and supplements. The PhytoSource range of shelf-stable, probiotic, bioactive rich, dry powder supplements have been developed from food grade sidestreams from fruit and vegetable processing. These provide a range of benefits including maintenance of gut health and anti-inflammatory activity to reduce or prevent the incidence of diseases linked to chronic inflammation such as cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration. This innovation reflects the prior research and innovation experience of the co-founders, developed after a career in both academia and large industries. The PhytoSource products have potential to increase the healthspan and their initial development to a pre-commercial stage has been supported by UK government funding.

Dr Holly Reeve, HydRegen

CEO & co-founder

HydRegen biotechnologies deliver 40% cost and 30% CO2e savings for chemical production, in customers’ existing manufacturing infrastructure. Allowing our customers to replace their precious-metal catalyst with our bio-alternative brings significant advantages for staying cost-competitive whilst also navigating increasing regulation, supply chain challenges, and consumer chemical needs. We are on track for our lead customer processes, in paracetamol and specialty chemical manufacturing, to reach manufacturing by 2027. Combined with our existing customer pipeline, we are raising £8m to unlock this £100m ARR opportunity by 2030.

Alexander Novitskiy, Nova Biochem Ltd

CEO

tba

Will Milligan, Extracellular

CEO & Founder

Extracellular is a Scale-Up and Development Partner providing critically needed research and development solutions for biotechnology companies. We’re focused on serving the market for novel ingredients in health, wellness and nutrition, and help to drastically reduce costs and improve process output using our platform process for continuous, intensified production.

Dr. Tobias Cors, Syntura

tba

Justice Kwabena Sarfo, NUAB Chemical Technology

tba

Matěj Prokop, EcoStem Works s.r.o.

CEO, Co-Founder

Central Europe has zero industrial-scale hemp processing capacity. EcoStem is closing that gap by building the missing infrastructure layer that connects hemp cultivation with manufacturers transitioning away from carbon-intensive materials. Hemp biomass stores significant amounts of biogenic carbon, and hemp-based materials reduce embodied carbon compared to conventional alternatives across construction, automotive, bioplastics, textiles, packaging and food. The project is substantially de-risked: off-take LOIs covering 300%+ of planned production, agricultural supply contracted, technology supplier on board, and an anchor investor with completed due diligence committed. IRR 19.2%, independently modeled by KNA Partners.

Dr Maria Gonçalves-Maia, Lenera

CEO

Lenera is a deep tech company dedicated to the production of cell-based skins for the luxury leather industry through a species-agnostic technology. Our innovation eliminates animal farming, wildlife poaching and hide waste, reduces water consumption and avoids toxic pre-tanning processes. Designed for seamless integration, Lenera’s cell-based skins fit directly into existing tanneries workflows radically optimizing the supply chain. Unlike mycelium or plant-based alternatives, our luxury biomaterials are exquisite and durable, offering a sustainable "Third Way" for the industry.

Dr Phoebe Heseltine, Natural negative Ltd

tba

Susanne Palsten Buchardt, Algiecel

CEO

ALGIECEL is a BioSolutions company on a mission to deliver sustainable, high-quality ingredients at scale for food, feed and cosmetics.
Harnessing nature’s own way and putting it to use at industrial scale, we grow microalgae using light and CO2 in compact, modular photobioreactors.
Our microalgae-based ingredients are rich in protein, omega-3 and bioactives, with consistent functionality and full traceability to meet modern supply chains. Our process minimizes CO2, water and land footprint, replacing resource-intensive inputs like fish oil and fish meal with ocean-free marine nutrients.

Olivia Simpson, SymbioTex

Managing Director & Co-Founder

SymbioTex; is a UK-based company, which manufactures seaweed-based alternatives to plastic. SymbioTex’s material is fully home compostable and compatible with traditional plastic industry machinery. It is currently being piloted across a range of sectors including medical and food packaging, and consumer goods.

Ludovic Sinet, Linium Biochemicals

tba

Juho-Matti Karpale, LignEasy

CEO

LignEasy is a startup with a patented technology for producing lignin, a low carbon footprint bioproduct. LignEasy's portfolio consists of two solutions: a technology package with our patented process for pulp mills and the lignin itself, produced at our pilot facility, which can be used across multiple chemical industries. In Europe alone, kraft lignin production exceeds 15M tons/year, with most being burned as low-grade fuel. Globally, this surpasses 50M tons/year, creating a multi-billion-euro market. Our solution enables kraft mills to extract lignin for higher-value products while also debottlenecking their processes and increasing pulp output, creating economic value and environmental benefits.

Dr. Dirk Hollmann, Cell2Green GmbH

CEO

Cell2Green produces recyclable, biodegradable, additive-free cellulose packaging made from renewable raw materials using an environmentally friendly process. The company develops sustainable film and packaging solutions designed to replace conventional fossil-based plastics in applications such as flexible packaging, transport films, and agricultural use. By combining high material performance with circularity, Cell2Green supports brands and industries in reducing plastic waste, lowering environmental impact, and advancing toward a more sustainable, bio-based packaging future.

Sylwester Paprocki, BIOPAK Sp. z o.o.

CEO

BIOPAK brings extensive industry experience and a forward-thinking approach to bioplastics and conventional materials. With well-established relationships across the flexible packaging value chain and a strong understanding of the quality standards demanded by today’s customers, BIOPAK is the ideal partner to support and create continued growth for it’s customers in the CEE region.
BIOPAK is led by Sylwester Paprocki, a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience in the packaging industry throughout Poland and the broader CEE region. Sylwester has held senior leadership roles in sales and product development at prominent international corporations including Constantia, Amcor (BEMIS), and Earthfirst Compostable Solutions.
Partnering with BIOPAK allows to be more responsive to our customers’ needs in Central and Eastern Europe.

Dr Sanjeev Gajjela, PySAF Limited

tba

Sebastian Hinz, TYMBA GmbH

CEO

TYMBA has developed groundbreaking technology that transforms locally sourced wood into sustainable alternatives to tropical hardwoods. Through an innovative processing method, the wood becomes extremely dense, hard, and stable—surpassing even aluminum in hardness and steel in specific strength. Importantly, Tymba's approach stores CO₂ instead of releasing it, making a significant contribution to climate protection. Tymba's product is applicable in various fields, including musical Instruments, interior design and construction of tools and technical devices. Their solution provides an eco-friendly alternative to fossil materials like plastic and steel while protecting rainforests and opening new perspectives for forestry.

Pierre Munzel, TYMBA GmbH

CFO

TYMBA has developed groundbreaking technology that transforms locally sourced wood into sustainable alternatives to tropical hardwoods. Through an innovative processing method, the wood becomes extremely dense, hard, and stable—surpassing even aluminum in hardness and steel in specific strength. Importantly, Tymba's approach stores CO₂ instead of releasing it, making a significant contribution to climate protection. Tymba's product is applicable in various fields, including musical Instruments, interior design and construction of tools and technical devices. Their solution provides an eco-friendly alternative to fossil materials like plastic and steel while protecting rainforests and opening new perspectives for forestry.

Henri Smidt, Floronics

co-founder

Floronics is developing the first camera to measure photosynthesis and correlate plant stress in real time under natural sunlight while being both field-deployable and lightweight enough for UAV integration. This enables objective early warning signals of plant stress long before visible damage occurs and days to weeks earlier than conventional indicators. For the first time, measurements previously confined to laboratory environments can be deployed affordably and at scale directly in the field. This capability opens new opportunities in precision agriculture and AI-driven plant modeling.

Joana Kappes, Ligaro

Co-founder

LIGARO is a Hannover-based CleanTech startup developing bio-based, non-toxic adhesives for the wood industry. Our patent-pending technology modifies plant proteins from industrial waste streams to create adhesives that are fully fossil-free, biodegradable, and free from formaldehyde and isocyanates. Early results show CO₂ reductions of up to 90% compared to conventional adhesives, with competitive bonding strength and water resistance. Currently at TRL 3, we are advancing toward industrial validation together first industrial pilot partners and research organizations, like the Fraunhofer institute— building the foundation for a scalable, circular alternative to today's fossil-based wood glues.

Dr. Lars Regestein, Biophelion GmbH

CEO & Co-founder

Biophelion GmbH, based in Jena, produces bio-based surfactants, polymers and develops technologies to advance the circular economy in Germany and the EU. Using biotechnology, the company aims to make the resource-intensive chemical industry more sustainable and resilient. Therefore, founders employ an unusual partner: a yeast-like black fungus that converts low-value by-products and waste streams from industries such as bioethanol, food, and paper production into valuable products. This approach enables sustainable value creation while reducing dependence on uncertain raw-material imports. Biophelion, a spin-off of Leibniz-HKI and RWTH Aachen, was founded through SPRIND’s Circular Biomanufacturing Challenge and is supported by a small team and international mentors.

Diego Gracia/ Mauricio Canales, Téscere Biotextiles

tba

Krisztina Kovacs-Schreiner, Lixea

tba

Isabel Alvarez-Martos/ Steve Weiss, Cellugy

CEO

Cellugy makes high-performance rheology modifiers (a 10B euro market). Prospects see differentiated value, including better feel, stability, biodegradability and no microplastics; we’re in over 30 trials; and we’re signing detailed LOIs re volume, pricing and timing. We’ve de-risked our fermentation-based technology through pilot and will validate at industrial (15,000L) scale in 2026, with commercial production in 2027. Driving to build a capital-light, high-revenue, high-margin business.

Dr Tony Martin Callaghan, SomaTech Limited

founder & CEO

SomaTech commercialises a patented solid-state fermentation (SSF) platform that converts low-value agri-food by-products into high-value functional ingredients for food and animal feed, enhancing nutrition, gut health, and feed efficiency.
The platform brings automation and scale to SSF, reducing costs while enabling decentralised production near raw material sources - cutting waste, transport, and supply chain risk.
By licensing SomaTech’s technology, food producers can turn by-products into new revenue streams, improve margins, and support a more sustainable, circular food system.
With ongoing validation alongside leading agri-food processors, SomaTech is positioning itself as the preferred partner to validate and scale SSF processes.

Dr. Marisa Sárria Pereira de Passos, MAGnexa

CEO

MAGnexa leverages advanced SPION-peptide fusion technology to enable magnetic capture and monitoring of micro- and nanoplastics in flowing systems. Its modular platform integrates filtration units containing bifunctional magnetic constructs, standalone peptide solutions for system recharging, and polymer detection and quantification services. Unlike static adsorption filters, these bioengineered magnetic particles are programmable through peptide design, enabling precise targeting of contaminants and rapid adaptation to emerging threats. Magnetic retrieval supports reusability, traceability, and system-level control. Future expansion includes closed-loop pathways for customer-driven recovery, recycling, or reuse of captured polymer materials, establishing a new class of adaptive, data-enabled, and sustainable flowing-system treatment and monitoring solutions.

Don Lakmanaarachchi, PhytoAR Biotechnologie GmbH

tba

Beatrix Ellis, GitLife Biotech Ltd

CEO

GitLife Biotech solves one of synthetic biology’s biggest blockers: today, it is almost impossible to identify an engineered organism, prove who created it, or authenticate its origin. This fragmentation creates unclear IP, weak biosecurity, risky collaboration and fragmented data across labs and companies. GitLife provides the digital backbone synthetic biology lacks, linking each engineered biological asset to a verified digital record. Through version controlled R&D and patented DNA barcoding, GitLife turns biological innovations into traceable, protected and shareable assets—giving organisations the provenance, trust and compliance they need to scale.

Dr. Vicente Lopez, CENER

Innovation Manager

OHRIGINSTM is a CENER-developed, IP-protected technology platform that converts underused lignin from paper mills into high-value bioaromatic products. By upgrading kraft lignin and, increasingly, black liquor directly, OHRIGINS opens a scalable route to renewable antioxidants and other specialty ingredients for sectors such as rubber, polymers, fuels, lubricants and cosmetics. The technology is advancing from pilot to demonstration scale, with strong economics, growing industrial validation and a licensing-oriented commercialization strategy. OHRIGINS offers industry and investors a circular, differentiated alternative to fossil-based aromatic chemicals with clear scale-up potential.

Dr. Sebastian Beblawy, EveryCarbon

CEO, Co-Founder

EveryCarbon develops next-generation insulation materials by transforming low-cost organic carbon into high-performance polymers using synthetic biology and polymer chemistry. Its foam system targets challenging applications, combining thermal stability, structural performance, and up to 85% lower GHG emissions, without the trade-offs that define incumbent materials. EveryCarbon is building the material foundation for a resilient, sustainable built environment.

Dr. Britta Winterberg, Mycolever GmbH

CEO & Founder

Mycolever builds an integrated TechBio platform that turns fungal biodiversity into scalable, high-value ingredients for consumer care and beyond. We combine computational discovery, lab validation, and data-rich bioprocess development to identify high-performance biocompounds and manufacture them reliably at scale. Our first products are fungal glycolipids: multifunctional ingredients for personal care that deliver biosurfactant performance (cleansing, foaming, emulsifying, solubilizing) while supporting skin health, including improved moisturization and skin barrier function. This dual functionality enables simpler, more sustainable formulations that replace petrochemical and palm-derived surfactants without compromising efficacy.

Dr. Nazende Günday-Türeli, MyBiotech GmbH

CEO

MyBiotech is a specialized CDMO enabling advanced drug delivery through nanotechnology, particle engineering, and bioprocessing. We support biotech and pharma partners from early development to GMP manufacturing, with a strong focus on complex and high-value formulations. Our core capabilities include formulation development, process scale-up, and GMP production for oral, injectable, and topical applications, complemented by aseptic fill & finish and lyophilization. Operating from a GMP-certified facility with EU GMP Annex 1-compliant cleanrooms, we deliver tailored solutions for clinical and commercial programs across small molecules, biologics, and nanoparticle-based therapeutics.

Peter Mangnus, Dawn Technologies

CTO

Over 100 million tons/year of textile are disposed worldwide of which most is incinerated or ending up as landfill. With the Dawn recycling technology most of the problematic textile waste consisting of blends of polyester and cotton can be recycled by transforming it into high-value mono-stream materials. The cotton is converted into glucose derivatives – a second-generation feedstock to produce biobased materials such as the polyester PEF (Releaf®) while the polyester PET is preserved for true fiber-to-fiber recycling.

Lars Sandberg, Blue Ocean Closures

CEO

Blue Ocean Closures develops fiber-based closures as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic caps for beverage packaging. The company’s patented technology enables the production of strong, high-performance caps made from renewable wood fibers, designed to work on existing bottling and beverage carton lines and integrate with current paper recycling systems. By replacing fossil-based plastics with fiber-based materials, Blue Ocean Closures helps reduce the carbon footprint of packaging while supporting the transition toward circular, bio-based packaging solutions. The company collaborates with leading global brands and packaging partners to industrialize fiber closures and bring scalable, sustainable innovations to the beverage industry.

Xavier Roussel, SurfactGreen

CEO and co investor

SurfactGreen is disrupting the cosmetic and personal care surfactants market. Our patented, bio-based molecules replace persistent petrochemical ingredients with high-performance, sustainable alternatives—no trade-offs. 100+ clients. 26 countries. Strong traction. Now scaling. Join our investor pitch to access a high-growth opportunity at the forefront of green chemistry and performance-driven innovation.

Andreas Koch, Fibryx GmbH

CEO

Fibryx is a deep-tech startup industrializing natural fiber composites for lightweight, sustainable mobility and construction. Our patented technology delivers 30% weight reduction and 15% cost savings compared to glass fiber, enabling manufacturers to meet both economic and ecological targets. With paid pilot projects for industry leaders in the commercial vehicle and caravan industry, we’re proving that sustainable innovation can deliver economic and environmental benefits, making us a standout in the bioeconomy’s shift toward scalable, high-impact solutions.

Mireia Vila, Feltwood

tba

Olivier Enos, Deasyl SA

Deputy CEO

Deasyl is a Swiss deeptech company founded in 2017, developing a patented circular-chemistry process to upgrade biodiesel by-products into low-carbon fuels and chemicals. Our modular technology helps producers turn low-value waste into higher-margin products, reducing emissions while improving profitability. By unlocking additional value from existing assets, Deasyl strengthens the economics of renewable fuels and accelerates the shift to a circular, low-carbon industry.

George Azpiri, Proteo Biotech

CFO

Biotech company, producing an alternative protein of high nutritional value at affordable costs.

Jon Goriup, VCG.AI

tba

Roger Ottenheym, Mevaldi

CEO

Mevaldi is a Dutch chemical technology company developing bio based building blocks for high performance materials. By combining industrial fermentation with catalytic chemistry, Mevaldi produces drop in alternatives to fossil based chemicals, enabling coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers, and plastics with a lower carbon footprint—without compromising performance or scalability.

Anne Boermans, Zeefier

Co-owner / CEO

Zeefier is a colour technology company developing textile dyes from seaweed and seaweed side streams. We turn seaweed and its residual streams into a biodegradable alternative to synthetic dyes for natural fibres, using locally sourced raw materials from seaweed cultivation, beach collection and seaweed-processing industries. Textile is one of the hidden polluters of our time, and dyeing plays a major role in that impact. With our plug-and-play solution for existing dyeing infrastructure, we help textile suppliers and brands move towards a cleaner and more traceable colouring process.

Bianca Zomer, Zeefier

Co-owner / CBD

Zeefier is a colour technology company developing textile dyes from seaweed and seaweed side streams. We turn seaweed and its residual streams into a biodegradable alternative to synthetic dyes for natural fibres, using locally sourced raw materials from seaweed cultivation, beach collection and seaweed-processing industries. Textile is one of the hidden polluters of our time, and dyeing plays a major role in that impact. With our plug-and-play solution for existing dyeing infrastructure, we help textile suppliers and brands move towards a cleaner and more traceable colouring process.

Kaspar Kristiansen, Aerbio

tba

Bouke Hylkema, Aurora Renewable Carbon

tba

Montgomery Wagner, Co-Founder & COO

Revoltech GmbH

revoltech is a B2B materials company developing LOVR™, a plant-based, plastic-free alternative to leather. Using hemp residues and proprietary process technology, we create scalable surface materials with ultra-low emissions, strong design appeal, and industrial compatibility. LOVR™ is designed for circularity and can be processed on existing machinery, making it a practical solution for brands in automotive, fashion, furniture, and accessories. With pilot projects, strong market traction, and a clear path to scale, revoltech enables the transition to regenerative material solutions.

Stewart Stewart, Nova Pangaea Technologies

CEO

Nova Pangaea’s REFNOVA technology converts agricultural and forestry waste
into cellulosic bioethanol and biochar. Ethanol is upgraded to SAF via the
Alcohol-to-Jet pathway, while biochar stores carbon in green cement, asphalt,
and soil applications, creating an end-to-end, carbon-negative process.
Unlike enzyme-based competitors, REFNOVA uses a thermochemical process
that reduces complexity and capital costs. Modular and feedstock-flexible,
plants can be deployed globally wherever biomass is available.
In the UK, we are partnered with IAG and LanzaJet through Project Speedbird
which will deliver >80,000 tonnes SAF and >500,000 tCO2e emissions
reductions p/a.

Janne-Constantin Albrecht, Fraunhofer ICT

tba

Eric Seck, Mercurius Biorefining, Inc

tba

David Drew, Circe BioTech

tba

Dr Amir Al Ghatta, Bioataraxis ltd

CEO

Bioataraxis is a spin‑out company from Imperial College London developing a novel chemical technology, EcoSAF, that enables the conversion of agricultural residues (e.g. corncobs) into highly effective, biobased surfactants. The technology aims to significantly decarbonise the home and personal care sector by replacing fossil‑derived surfactants with sustainable alternatives. EcoSAF has been demonstrated at TRL 9, confirming its industrial readiness and its strong value proposition in terms of product performance, process scalability, and supply‑chain resilience, delivering clear benefits for both manufacturers and consumer brands.

Balaji ENUGUTTI, Fragrami GmbH

tba

Alex Braun, SNOW POLYMERS

Co-Founder & International Director

SNOW POLYMERS develops biodegradable polymer grades from industrial organic waste at a current cost basis of about $1.15/kg, with the goal of offering a practical alternative to conventional oil based plastics. The company’s patented polymer brush architecture enables thermoplastic materials that work on existing industrial plastic equipment and address applications across PE, PP, mulch film and more. SNOW combines deep tech chemistry, industrial compatibility, biodegradation standards, and a double circular economy model that connects waste streams with plastic manufacturers, creating a scalable route to sustainable plastics with strong commercial relevance.

Adelya Khayrova, Demeter Bio

tba

George O'Malley, Cloondaff Ltd.

CEO

Cloondaff Ltd has developed and globally patented a thermal and acoustic insulation called “Cloondaff”using meadowgrass fibre. “Cloondaff” can be produced in all geographical regions throughout the world. It possesses an excellent Lambda value, totally absorbs sound, possesses summer-cooling benefits and regulates atmospheric moisture. It is easy and user-friendly to install and has a pleasant odour. The production of “Cloondaff” requires c.10% of the energy of conventional insulants, sequesters carbon, does not involve toxic chemicals or emissions during production or when exposed to naked flame. It is recyclable.

Paul Réthy, BLUU GmbH

Strategy Lead

BLUU develops next-generation marine bioactives from real fish cells using scalable, GMO-free biomanufacturing. As a B2B ingredient supplier, the company produces complex, regenerative actives for personal care, health, and food – without using marine resources or harming animals. Its proprietary technology enables industrial-scale production with high purity and consistent batch-to-batch quality while protecting ocean ecosystems. BLUU bridges the gap between natural efficacy and sustainable supply and is advancing toward full commercial-scale manufacturing, removing living animals from the equation while unlocking their full biological and unique potential across three industries.

Flávio Baleeiro, Capraferm

Scientist at UFZ

We are a spin-off initiative from two cutting-edge bioeconomy research centers in Germany: the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ). We are scaling up our innovative proprietary technology for producing “capra” oleochemicals from regional biomass and organic by-products. Capra chemicals are a group of fatty acids (e.g. caproic/caprylic acid) that are currently high-end, palm oil-based substitutes for fossil derivatives. We will popularize these bio-based chemicals by bringing a circular, decentralized, and cost-competitive production route to market. This will be done with a unique business model that synergizes with Europe’s existing agro-industrial infrastructure.

Marco Pieterse, SENI Preps BV

CEO

SENI Preps develops patented, natural peptide-based urease inhibitors that improve animal health and reduce mortality in intensive livestock systems. By preventing the formation of toxic ammonia at its source, SENI addresses an inefficiency that affects both economic performance and sustainability. The technology was validated by Wageningen (WUR). Main focus is on poultry, where ammonia-related health effects translate into economic losses. WUR is also testing peptides for ammonia emission reduction, a 16 billion annual problem for the Netherlands. SENI seeks an investment of €1.25 million for pilot production, execute in vivo POC studies with corporates, prepare for market entry, and organizational development.

Sami Selkälä, Innomost Oy

CEO

At Innomost Oy, we specialize in turning birch bark waste into high-value, fossil- and palm-free ingredients. Innomost is using patented end-to-end technology with unmatched scalability potential to extract valuable functional ingredients from birch bark. Products, betulin and suberin can replace fossil-based polyols, functional barriers to moisture, grease, and oxygen, and used as active ingredients, additives, pigments, emollients and wax in cosmetics.

Dr Lari Vähäsalo, CH-Bioforce Oy

Co-founder and R&D Director

CH-Bioforce provides a sustainable, high performance alternative to fossil based raw materials at a time when industries face growing regulatory pressure, rising material costs, and increasing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products. Our biopolymers—XYLENSE®, LIGNENSE® and CELLENSE™—enable manufacturers to replace microplastics, petrochemical emulsifiers, synthetic UV blockers, and other non renewable ingredients without compromising product quality. Using industrial and agricultural side streams as feedstock, we help customers reduce their carbon footprint, secure resilient material sourcing, and accelerate the transition toward circular, bio based value chains.

Mark Simmers, Celtic Renewables

CEO

Celtic Renewables has developed a leading industrial biotechnology process that converts by-products and waste from industries like food, drink and agriculture into high-value, green chemicals. Using advanced fermentation technology at its commercial demonstrator biorefinery, the company produces bio-acetone, bio-butanol, and bio-ethanol. These green chemicals can be used in thousands of everyday products including fragrances, cosmetics, cleaning products and medicines.
By replacing fossil fuel–derived chemicals with bio-based alternatives, Celtic Renewables reduces carbon emissions and supports a complete circular approach to chemical manufacturing. Their scalable technology also allows the future rollout of industrial scale biorefineries across the UK.

Christina Rode, Hulk Bio

Founder and CEO

Hulk Bio is a cell-based platform producing human milk bioactives, enabling human-relevant ingredients for next-generation nutrition and gut health products. Today, most bioactives are animal-, microbe-, or plant-derived; scalable but lacking human authenticity. Our platform unlocks true human bioactives at scale, enabling precise, sustainable applications across nutrition, health, and beyond.

Pablo Rodríguez Outón, INDRESMAT

CEO & Founder

INDRESMAT is a Spanish deep-tech chemical company developing advanced BioPolyurethane (BioPUR) materials to decarbonize the construction sector. Our proprietary sRIM-PUR® technology enables the industrial-scale manufacturing of high-performance building components, starting with KLIMA-PUR® windows, which achieve record thermal insulation (Uf = 0.8 W/m²K), superior acoustic performance, and full circularity. Unlike most bio-based solutions, our materials are designed for industrial scalability and integration into existing manufacturing processes. INDRESMAT is currently focused on scaling production through automation, addressing the critical gap between material innovation and industrial deployment.

Christina Rode, Hulk Bio

Founder and CEO

Hulk Bio is a cell-based platform producing human milk bioactives, enabling human-relevant ingredients for next-generation nutrition and gut health products. Today, most bioactives are animal-, microbe-, or plant-derived; scalable but lacking human authenticity. Our platform unlocks true human bioactives at scale, enabling precise, sustainable applications across nutrition, health, and beyond.

Pavel Elizarev, SMEY Labs GmbH

CSO

SMEY is a techbio platform company offering a revolutionary way to discover, scale and supply exact-fit oils and fats – combining non-GMO yeast fermentation with a proprietary AI-driven discovery engine. We’ve created the Lipid Atlas – collection of 350 oils and fats ready for sample production and scale up. SMEY is translating the platform into near-term monetization, with a primary focus on tailored, sustainable high-performance oils for the cosmetic industry, as well as with oils for food in the pipeline. We are actively cooperating with 120+ global brands, distributors and CMOs for product testing.

Henning Tschunt, SPROSERVATION GmbH

CEO & Co-Founder

PROSERVATION aims to establish material solutions that are both ecologically and economically sustainable. By developing plastic-free products from regional plant residues, we reduce environmental impact and support a circular bioeconomy as an alternative to fossil-based linear systems.
Our European-patented innovation RECOU — a unique material from Baden-Württemberg — is high-performance, compostable, and residue-based, offering a natural alternative to plastics. It is suitable for applications such as packaging, protective cushioning, acoustically effective components, and insulation.
With its versatility and scalability, RECOU enables sustainable solutions across multiple industries seeking environmentally responsible material alternatives.

Daniel Dinizo, NaturLoop

Co-founder & CEO

NaturLoop turns agricultural waste into sustainable surface materials. We use coconut husks to produce high-performance panels for furniture and architecture with 100% bio-based adhesives. By connecting agricultural supply chains with industrial production, we create value from waste while reducing environmental impact. Our materials are designed to be scalable, reliable, and easy to integrate into existing manufacturing processes. NaturLoop’s goal is to make sustainable materials affordable and widely accessible, accelerating the transition to a regenerative bio-economy.

Marcel Burgstaller, istraw.group

Founder & Managing Director

istraw.group develops and scales CO₂-negative, bio-based construction solutions for the building industry. The group integrates material development, industrial production systems, and project application into a unified platform. Its subsidiary istraw.systems provides the underlying manufacturing technology, enabling a network of regional production hubs operated by partners. By replacing carbon-intensive materials with fast-growing natural fibers that store more CO₂ than they emit during production, istraw.group contributes to circular construction and climate-positive buildings while building a scalable, license-based industrial ecosystem.

Dr Daniel Kaute, Evoralis

CEO

Evoralis is a UK biotechnology company developing next-generation enzymatic recycling solutions for textiles and plastics that are currently considered unrecyclable. Its proprietary discovery platform combines ultra-high-throughput screening, microfluidics plus data-rich AI based enzyme evolution to rapidly identify and optimise enzymes capable of breaking down complex polymers, including crystalline and blended materials.
By enabling true polymer-to-monomer recycling, Evoralis aims to unlock circularity for challenging waste streams such as nylon and elastane, supporting the transition to a low-carbon, circular materials economy.
The company works closely with leading industry partners across the textile and chemical value chain to accelerate industrial adoption.

Jonathan Edmunds, Woodly

Director of Sustainability & Regulation

Woodly is a materials technology company reducing food waste through enhanced packaging performance. Its patented wood-based thermoplastic is proven to extend fresh produce shelf life by up to 3 days, creating measurable value across the food system through lower spoilage, fewer markdowns, reduced waste and better availability. Drop-in compatible with existing plastic production lines, Woodly enables faster adoption through established converters and extruders without the need for new manufacturing infrastructure. With commercial validation, established repeat business in Finland, and ongoing industrial and retail trials in the UK, Woodly is now seeking seed investment to support commercial scaling in the UK through a capital-efficient, partner-enabled growth model.