Future of Bio Investments Event

Future of BioInvest

April 22 and 23, 2026

Future of BioInvestments: Sustainable. Innovative. Economical.

FoB:Invest is the new pitch and match event in Ceresana’s successful Future of Bio (FoB) series. It connects high-growth startups from the bioeconomy with leading European investors, industry partners, and funding institutions. FoB:Invest supports innovations along the entire bioeconomic value chain. The aim is to help promising technologies achieve a breakthrough – from bio-based materials and industrial/white biotechnology to recycling and CO₂ utilization solutions. FoB:Invest is the online financing format that focuses exclusively on bioeconomy startups.

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 combines a precisely organized pitch day with a structured pre-selection of the participating startups. The startups will not only present their innovative technologies and services, but also gain access to a highly qualified network of financial and strategic investors, clusters, and technology promoters. The event will take place entirely online – efficiently, internationally, and with a limited number of participants for an exclusive specialist audience.

Online pitches

Award ceremony

1:1 networking

The Platform for Investable Bioeconomy Solutions

Innovations in the bioeconomy are shaping the industry of tomorrow: Bio-based materials – such as bioplastics and packaging, bio-based building materials, bio-based coatings, paints, and adhesives – new fermentation processes, enzyme technologies, and circular resource models are driving sustainable solutions for chemicals, packaging, construction, agriculture, consumer goods, and industrial goods. The new EU Bioeconomy Strategy presented in November 2025, which aims to support bio-based innovations and establish lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies, will further accelerate this change politically. But turning a breakthrough into a viable, scalable business requires more than scientific excellence – it demands capital, partnerships, and access to markets.

FoB:Invest connects startups, investors, and industry leaders to identify and elevate high-potential technologies and accelerate their path to scale. In a focused, professional pitch setting, investment opportunities meet entrepreneurial vision: investors gain access to curated dealflow, startups benefit from visibility and expert feedback, and medium-sized companies as well as large corporations discover new partners for pilot projects and technology deployment. Together, we lay the foundation for growth, value creation, and the transition to a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy.

Event brochure

Who Is the Event for?

Startups & scaleups: Innovative companies from the bioeconomy that want to actively raise capital – from university or institutional research spin-offs to “soon-to-be startups” and young companies to scaleups and technology-driven SMEs. The focus is on teams with scalable business models, technological differentiation potential, and a specific financing need (e.g. (pre-)seed, Series A/B/C). These startups can apply for one of the 100 pitch slots to convincingly present their solution, their market, and their capital requirements in front of a qualified panel of investors.

Startups brochure

Apply now

Financial investors: Venture capital and corporate venture teams, business angels and specialized impact and climate tech funds, as well as public and semi-public investors such as promotional banks and investment companies that are specifically looking for qualified investment opportunities in the bioeconomy, bio-based materials, and industrial biotechnology. The event is aimed at decision-makers who want to identify new portfolio companies, deepen and broaden their investment focus, and gain early access to technologically promising startups.

Strategic investors: Companies seeking access to future technologies in the bioeconomic sector and wishing to explore participations or strategic investment impulses. The event is aimed in particular at teams from M&A, innovation, strategy, R&D or business development, who use FoB:Invest to gain early insights into new solutions and business models, get to know relevant startups and derive possible next steps for their own transformation and growth strategy.

Investors brochure

Our Sponsors

Our Cluster Partners

Our Jury

Our Partners

Our Media Partners

Why Take Part?

TRL-based Pitch Sessions

FoB:Invest brings together startups and technology teams from the sustainability and bioeconomy space at different stages of development. To ensure fair, focused, and highly relevant pitch sessions, startup presentations at FoB:Invest are organised along Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).

Grouping pitches by comparable levels of technological and commercial maturity — from early validation to scale-up and market entry — helps startups connect with investors whose focus and expectations match their current stage. This creates more targeted feedback, relevant connections, and real opportunities for the next steps of growth.

This unique format is designed for innovation-driven companies, which we refer to as “startups” within the context of the event. This includes early-stage ventures and scale-ups, as well as SMEs and corporate teams developing market-ready technologies with a strong focus on sustainable growth and scalability.

Highly qualified visibility with leading European investors
Opportunities for pilot projects and industry partnerships
International reach and visibility
Prominent mention on our event website and LinkedIn posts to >25,000 industry contacts
Participation in the FoB:Invest Innovation Award with the chance to be recognized as a finalist or winner for an outstanding technological innovation.

We are expecting exclusive representatives from over a hundred venture capital and corporate venture teams, impact and climate funds as well as promotional banks, mainly from Europe.

Startups brochure

FoB:Invest Innovation Award

The FoB:Invest Innovation Award honors the most convincing technological and marketable bioeconomy innovation of the event. From all 100 participating startups, 8 finalists will be chosen – and from these, a winner will be selected.

PDF certificate
Exclusive LinkedIn post to >25,000 industry contacts
Prominent placement on our event page (with >30,000 visitors per month)
Targeted email to our 15,000 contacts in the investment & bioeconomy sectors

Evaluation Criteria for the FoB:Invest Innovation Award

The jury evaluates 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)

Application Process

Submission of the application (basic information)
Pre-screening of applications
Submission of the pitch deck
Announcement of the finalists
Selection of the award winner by the jury committee
Pitch days including award ceremony (online)

Application Documents

We need this basic information for the first selection round:

Pitch details (Title of the presentation and name of the pitcher(s))
Technology profile (Technology Readiness Level (TRL): current state of development (TRL 1-9))
Financing target & investment need (Specify the form of financing sought (e.g. seed, series, etc.) and the target amount)
Optional: Short pitch video (2-3 minutes) (Recommended for personal presentation of team, motivation, and vision)

Pitching Fee: 200€

Apply Now

Is your startup working on an innovative solution in the bioeconomy? Apply now using our form. The number of pitch slots is limited.

Apply now

Important note on registration

Upon successful acceptance into the program, a binding and fee-based registration as a pitch startup is required.

Registration will close once 100 startups have bindingly registered.

Confirmed investors include, 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, FERI Cognitive Finance Institute, 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, Prosemino Venture Studio, Rubio, SHIFT Invest, Symbia VC, Ternholm Capital, UNIIQ (InnovationQuarter), UPM, Vorwerk Ventures, and VP Capital.

Registered startups and scaleups include, 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, Blue Ocean Closures, Catavis Applied Biotech (spin-off KIT), Cell2Green, Cellugy, CENER, Circe BioTech, Cloondaff, COLLIX, Colorifix, Dawn Technologies, Deasyl SA, Demeter Bio, EcoCocon, ecoLocked, ecorbio, EcoStem Works, Eranova, ETB Global, EveryCarbon, Extracellular, Feltwood, Fibryx GmbH, Floronics, FluIDect, Fragrami GmbH, Fraunhofer ICT, GitLife Biotech, Grey Heron, Grown bio, iBoxit, Indresmat, Lenera, Ligaro, LignEasy, Linium Biochemicals, Lixea, MarinaTex, Mercurius Biorefining, Mevaldi, MyBiotech, Mycolever, Natural negative, Natural Power International, Naturbeads, Neptunus Biotech, Nova Biochem, Nova Pangaea Technologies, Novis, NUAB Chemical Technology, PhytoAR Biotechnologie, Plinius Labs, Proteo Biotech, Protzilla, Puregreen, PySAF, Revoltech GmbH, RWTH Aachen University, SNOW POLYMERS, Solid Air Dynamics, SomaTech, SurfactGreen, SymbioTex, Syntura, TerraWaste Holdig, Téscere Biotextiles, The Sustainable People, TNO (polySCOUT), twig bio, Twogee Biotech, Tymba, VCG.AI, Woven Bio, Yeastime, and Zeefier.

Pitch Deck Guidelines for Your Presentation

Ideally, your pitch should answer the following questions in 7 minutes:

What problem is being solved?
→ Clear market need, affected sectors
What is the solution?
→ Technological approach, product, process – brief and easy to understand
Why is it better than existing alternatives?
→ USP, IP protection, differentiation, competitive advantage
How great is the potential?
→ Market size, business model, sales plan, scalability
What is the progress to date?
→ Pilot projects, first customers, KPIs, milestones
Who is behind it?
→ Team, expertise, roles, advisory
How much capital is needed – and for which purpose?
→ Financing needs & use of funds

Show us clearly and concisely why your solution is relevant, how you differentiate yourself, where you stand – and what growth potential you can unleash.

Note on confidentiality

If your startup is selected, we will use basic information such as name, logo, and short profile for the website and event communication. More detailed information from the application will generally only be used internally in the jury selection process. You decide what content you share openly in your pitch.

For Investors

FoB:Invest is aimed at VC and growth funds, climate and impact investors, corporate venture teams, as well as public and institutional investors looking to back scalable solutions across the bioeconomy and sustainability.

To keep the pitch sessions as relevant and efficient as possible for everyone involved, we organise startup pitches by Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) — from early validation through scale-up to market-ready solutions. This makes it easier to focus on the maturity stages and topics that best match your investment strategy.

FoB:Invest offers investors a centralized, selectively accessible platform for startup financing in the field of bioeconomy & sustainable technologies.

As an investor, you can use FoB:Invest in various roles:

As a participant: You follow the pitch sessions, gain access to selected startups, and have the opportunity to hold direct 1:1 discussions
As a jury member: You contribute your expertise to the jury and play an active role in the decision-making process for the FoB:Invest Innovation Award.
As a sponsor: You can also use FoB:Invest as a platform for your visibility and positioning (e.g. as an award, platinum, or gold sponsor). Details can be found in the “Sponsors & Partners”

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

Investors brochure

Become Part of the Jury

As a jury member, you will have the opportunity to play an active role in evaluating the pitches and help decide the winner of the FoB:Invest Innovation Award. The jury will select the 8 finalists and the winner of the FoB:Invest Innovation Award from the selected pitch startups.

Your benefits as a jury member:

Free speaker slot in one of the investor insight sessions
Prominent logo placement of your fund / company on our event website
Personal profile with photo and short description in the “Speakers & Experts” section
LinkedIn visibility through our posts (>25,000 contacts)
Mention in the official event communication (via email & press release)
Direct access to pitch decks and startup profiles of the finalists
Positioning as a leading expert & active shaper in the bioeconomy investment environment
Direct 1:1 meetings after the pitches with the selected startups

Confirmed investors include, among others:

Registered startups and scaleups include, for example:

Evaluation Criteria for the Award

The jury evaluates 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 with the Early-Bird Discount (until February 23, 2026):

AWARD

€ 1,600

One-time FeeRegular Price: 2,000€

PLATINUM

€ 800

One-time FeeRegular Price: 1,000€

GOLD

€ 600

One-time FeeRegular Price: 750€

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.

Become a Media Partner

Brochure Media Partner BioInvest

Our Sponsors

Our Cluster Partners

Our Partners

Our Media Partners

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.

As the final topics are still being planned, you can find a provisional schedule here. Detailed information on the agenda will be added soon.

Wednesday 22. April

09:00 a.m.
–
09:30 a.m.

Introduction and Investor Keynotes
tba

09:30 a.m.
–
12:30 p.m.

Startup Pitches
tba

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

1:30 p.m.
–
2:00 p.m.

Investor-Keynotes
tba

2:00 p.m.
–
5:00 p.m.

Startup Pitches
tba

5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

Thursday 23. April

09:00 a.m.
–
09:30 a.m.

Introduction and Investor Keynotes
tba

09:30 a.m.
–
12:30 p.m.

Startup Pitches
tba

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

1:30 p.m.
–
2:00 p.m.

Investor-Keynotes
tba

2:00 p.m.
–
5:00 p.m.

Startup Pitches
tba

5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Networking-Opportunity

Our Speakers & Experts

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

tba

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

Investor Relationships Manager

tba

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

tba

Claire Smith, Beyond Impact

tba

Sagar Tandon, Beyond Impact

tba

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

tba

Graham Sinclair, Harvard

tba

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

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

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.

Modesto Ricardo Contreras González , BIOAMA

tba

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

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

tba

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

Dr Pablo Ferrero Aguar, AIMPLAS

tba

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

tba

John Farley, iBoxit

tba

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

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.

Holly Reeve, HydRegen

CEO

tba

Alexander Novitskiy, Nova Biochem Ltd

CEO

tba

Will Milligan, Extracellular

CEO & Founder

tba

Dr. Tobias Cors, Syntura

tba

Justice Kwabena Sarfo, NUAB Chemical Technology

tba

Matěj Prokop, EcoStem Works s.r.o.

tba

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

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

tba

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 Callaghan, SomaTech Limited

tba

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.

Dr.-Ing. André Delavault, Catavis Applied Biotech

tba

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

tba

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

tba

Peter Mangnus, Dawn Technologies

tba

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

tba

Andreas Koch, Fibryx GmbH

tba

Mireia Vila, Feltwood

tba

Olivier Enos, Deasyl SA

tba

George Azpiri/ Miguel Angel Navarr, Proteo Biotech

tba

Jon Goriup, VCG.AI

tba

Roger Ottenheym, Mevaldi

tba

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

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.