Slashing CO2Decarbonizing the chemicals industry through synthetic biology.
Big Picture
Historically one of the dirtiest sectors of the economy, the $6 trillion chemicals industry is responsible for roughly 10% of global energy consumption and 20% of all industrial greenhouse gas emissions. Pollution is produced at every step in their production, from petroleum-derived feedstocks to processing to transportation. On top of that, many chemicals are notoriously unsafe to make.
How it Works
Solugen combines directed evolution of enzymes with machine learning to produce an array of specialty chemicals. These chemicals directly substitute for the combustible and usually toxic petroleum-based versions that are the building blocks of countless industrial and consumer products, like hand sanitizer. Solugen avoids and removes CO₂ at every step, starting with carbon-storing feedstocks.
Unfair Advantage
Solugen makes commodity products at lower cost, higher margin, and significantly lower capex than one of the world’s largest, dirtiest, and slowest-moving industries. Solugen’s first product was hydrogen peroxide. Next came glucaric acid, widely used in water treatment. Now they’ve scaled a platform for enzyme production that will allow them to replicate this process for one chemical after another.
06
Tons of CO2e
avoided per ton of hydrogen peroxide
GAURAB CHAKRABARTI CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Gaurab is a physician-scientist focused on using biology to solve incredibly complex problems. He received an MD/PhD in cancer biology and enzymology from the University of Texas.
Follow: @GaurabC
SEAN HUNT CTO & CO-FOUNDER
Previously, Sean was a fuel-cell engineer for the U.S. Navy and a vaccine and API process engineer for Merck. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering from MIT.
Forsaking funding at a $1 billion valuation, Solugen preps a new green chemical product and a big 2021
TechCrunch
How Two Young Scientists Built a $250M Business Using Yeast to Clean Up Wastewater
Forbes
Meet the Texas startup that wants to decarbonize the chemical industry
Techcrunch
Solugen finds sweet spot with industrial hydrogen peroxide
Houston Chronicle