In France, AFYREN, a greentech company building a biobased organic acids plant, has received a €9 million (US$9.5 million) loan from Bpifrance, the French state investment bank. The financing will support start-up of its first plant, located in Saint Avold, France. The loan, structured in two installments of €6 million and €3 million, is part […]
In Maryland, high-performance athletic surfaces manufacturer Beynon Sports has received the U.S. Department of Agriculture Certified Biobased Product Label for its polyurethane binder products BEYPUR™ 320-Bio and BEYPUR™ 340-Bio. Both binders contain 24% biobased content and are suitable for various applications, including bonding materials like rubber, foam, cork, and wood mulch. The BEYPUR™ 340-Bio variant […]
In the United Kingdom, textile brand Kirkby Design has created an interior drapery fabric made from aloe vera. Dubbed Aloe, the sheer material is a 60-40 mix of aloe vera and organic cotton. Aloe is more sustainable than 100% cotton because aloe vera requires comparably small amounts of water, pesticides, and fertilizer. Kirby Design also […]
In Georgia, polyhydroxyalkanoates bioplastics company Danimer Scientific has reported third-quarter sales of $8.6 million, down $2.3 million compared to the year-ago quarter, primarily due to the reapportionment of Starbucks’ straw business. A net loss of $21.8 million, however, was up from the year-ago quarter’s loss of $40.2 million. “We completed the third quarter in line […]
In France, epoxy resin maker Sicomin, Skaw Sailing, and boatbuilder Shoreteam have developed a foiling cruising yacht with partially biobased composite. Dubbed Skaw (A), the yacht was built by Shoreteam and designed by Benoit Marie, founder of Scaw Sailing, and Clément Bercault. According to Composites World, Skaw (A) uses Sicomin’s high-modulus GreenPoxy resin solutions, including […]
In California, seaweed technology startups Umaro and Sway have been awarded a $1.5 million Department of Energy grant to jointly develop new processing techniques to convert alginate sidestreams from Umaro’s seaweed protein production into Sway’s seaweed-based bioplastics. The collaboration aims to produce both biobased plastics and protein from a single regenerative resource. Umaro’s products include […]
In Paris, lab-growth leather startup Faircraft has raised $15.8 million to expand its workforce and accelerate scaling of its tissue engineering production process. The company specializes in creating lab-grown leather from animal skin cells, replicating the structure and composition of traditional leather through advanced cellular agriculture processes. “This technological breakthrough goes beyond fashion, using cutting-edge […]
In the Netherlands, biobased chemicals company Avantium has announced an expanded partnership with SCG Chemicals Public Company Limited to pilot the production of polylactic-co-glycolic acid as a polyester alternative. Using Avantium’s Volta Technology, which converts CO2 into high-value products such as glycolic acid, the partnership aims to produce PLGA using existing manufacturing assets. PLGA is […]
In California, biobased venture studio Ferment has launched a $20 million fund aimed at accelerating biotech solutions across vital industries such as energy, agriculture, materials, and health. The fund’s inaugural investment is a $2.5 million stake in Alchemyca, an innovative company leveraging enzymes, sensors, and AI to enhance the conversion of organic waste into renewable […]
In South Carolina, Milliken & Company has announced a strategic investment and partnership with Tidal Vision, a biomolecular technologies firm converting chitosan—a biodegradable compound found in shellfish shells—into high-performance chemistries for various applications, including water treatment and agriculture. Financial terms were not disclosed. “Our partnership with Tidal Vision is a natural fit, as their innovative […]
