Solugen
Canvas Category OEM : Chemical
In 2016, we set out to radically transform the chemicals industry. What started as a pledge to first, do no harm, became a promise to bring clean, sustainable chemistry to every industry and every aspect of modern life. In the years since, we’ve opened the world’s first carbon-negative molecule factory and made plans to build many more across the US; we’ve made scalable synthetic biology a reality, and now we’re bringing high performing, cost competitive, carbon-negative products to the whole world. We combine the best elements of fermentation with the best elements of petrochemical processing to create the world’s first carbon negative molecular manufacturing platform: the Bioforge™. At 10,000 ton per year capacity, the Bioforge is the first manufacturing plant permitted in Houston without wastewater discharge or air emissions. It is powered by renewable wind energy. The Bioforge achieves highly profitable and carbon negative molecular manufacturing by simultaneously satisfying four parameters: biobased feedstocks, high selectivity, high yields, and high throughput. This enables the Bioforge to convert inexpensive feedstock directly into valuable product molecules while avoiding the formation of waste products.
Assembly Line
Leveraging AI for Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing
After talking to people across the company, I identified two significant areas where machine learning can make a difference today. The first is protein design, and the second is the optimization of our chemical processes. There are areas that may eventually become important down the line, such as using AI to better control the plant so that the conversion and production is maximized. I can also imagine building recommender systems to better suggest meaningful products to clients. But protein design and the optimization of chemical processes are by far the most important because they are about innovation. If we want to accomplish our mission of decarbonizing the chemicals industry, we need to figure out how to make a lot more molecules than we know how to make now, and we need to be able to very quickly scale them up in factories.
Solugen and ADM Announce Strategic Partnership
Solugen, a rapidly scaling climate technology company that is reimagining the chemistry of everyday life, and ADM (NYSE:ADM), a global leader in sustainable solutions, today announced a strategic partnership to scale a range of innovative, plant-based specialty chemicals and bio-based building block molecules in a new manufacturing facility in Marshall, Minnesota.
Under the terms of the agreement, Solugen will build a new 500,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility adjacent to ADM’s existing corn complex in Marshall. The facility will utilize ADM-provided dextrose to scale its current line of lower-carbon organic acids and develop new, innovative molecules to replace existing fossil fuel-based materials.
Sasol Chemicals and Solugen will evaluate effectiveness of sustainable ingredients in care chemicals applications
Sasol Chemicals will evaluate the effectiveness of Solugen’s proprietary products, blends and derivatives in its household, personal care, and industrial and institutional cleaning surfactant formulations, initially focusing on chelating agents.
Solugen’s bio-based ingredients are high-performing and cost-competitive materials used in detergents, cleaning products, and personal care products. Solugen manufactures these ingredients at its Bioforge facility in Houston, which uses a first-of-its-kind chemienzymatic process to convert plant-derived substances into essential materials that traditionally relied on fossil fuels – all with no or low emissions and waste.
Solugen raises over $200 million Series D to reimagine the chemistry of everyday life
Solugen is reimagining the chemistry of everyday life with enzymes found in nature. We make chemicals better, faster, cheaper, and without fossil fuels from right here in Houston, Texas. Whether you care about the climate, local competitiveness, or just plain old profits, we have good news: it’s working!
Our first Bioforge has been operating for a year and Solugen is running a nearly nine figure business with high margins selling commodity and specialty chemicals. We have established ourselves with top tier customers for our existing solutions and fortune 100 technology partners to build a robust pipeline of future molecules that will help us achieve our goal of 10 mil tons of CO2 removed from the atmosphere.
Last year we raised over $300m to fund our first Bioforge. Now, we’ve raised over $200m, which increases our valuation above $2b. This capital allows us to break ground on our next Bioforge and start working on 3, 4 and 5, both in the US and abroad. We will significantly grow and advance our new molecule pipeline to enable an even wider range of carbon negative and low carbon solutions for our customers and for end consumers.