Gevo secures $17 million from Burill & Co and Malaysian Life Sciences in third round

May 14, 2008

In California. Gevo announced that Burill & Co and Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund have joined a $17 million third round of financing that closed this week, joining Vinod Khosla’s Khosla Ventures and Richard Branson’s Virgin Green Fund as investors. The company uses synthetic biology to produce advanced biofuels such as butanol from cellulosic biomass.

Like competitors LS9, Amyris and OPX Biotechnologies, the company is betting that its designer microorganisms and enzymes will allow it to significantly reduce the cost of cellulosic production. Among the company’s projects is the development of alternative jet fuel for Branson’s Virgin Group.