From Microalgae to AI: Bio-based Innovation Is Booming
Plus: funding to scale biotech, collaborations, industry insights, and latest opportunities for bio-inovators.
The global economy still runs overwhelmingly on fossil fuels—over 90% of plastics are derived from petrochemicals, and only 11.8% of European materials used in 2023 were from recycled sources. Meanwhile, demand for materials is expected to double by 2060. The math isn’t sustainable.
The bioeconomy offers a path forward, but not without challenges. This week’s news shows how innovators across sectors are working to make that path more viable—from AI-powered fermentation to microalgae capturing carbon. The momentum is real—but so is the urgency.
💼 Business
🌱 Turning Plants Into Powerhouses: Bloom’s $15M Boost
Swiss startup Bloom Biorenewables just secured $15 million to shake up the materials world. Their tech unlocks the full potential of plant biomass by stabilizing lignin (a notoriously tricky component) and turning it into feedstock for sustainable fuels, cosmetics, packaging, textiles—you name it.
What’s clever? Their process valorizes what would otherwise be waste. The Series A funding led by Anaïs Ventures and Valquest Partners has set Bloom in the right direction toward industrial scale.
🧪 Biomanufacturing, Accelerated: Meet Differential Bio
As with many new and natural processes, fermentation doesn’t have the best rep for speed. CEO of Munich-based Differential Bio, Christian Spier, estimated that the development of novel bioproducts takes between 5-10 years, costing $100-500 million (ouch!). Christian and his team wants to change that.
The company has just raised €2 million in pre-seed funding from Ananda Impact Ventures and ReGen Ventures to advance biomanufacturing through its Virtual Scale-up Platform. The platform uses a mix of AI, advanced microbiology, and lab robotics to shrink timelines and costs for new bio-based materials by delivering precise insights and reducing the need for physical experimentation.
⚗️ Pow.Bio Goes Big with Real-World AI Fermentation
Meanwhile, Californian Pow.Bio has unveiled a 25,000 sq ft facility in Alameda. Think of it as a fermentation playground—AI-powered with a continuous fermentation system and increased scale-up facility, just to name a few perks.
It’s set to be more than a tech showcase; the company aims to provide proof-of-concept for real-world and scalable biomanufacturing compatible with existing facilities to serve multiple industries like agriculture, alternative materials, chemicals and medicine.
🫱🏻🫲🏾Collaborations
🟢 Teamwork Makes the Bio-Dream Work
Singapore is stepping up its bio game. The national R&D agency A*STAR is teaming with MojiaBio to develop a new biomanufacturing platform using renewable feedstocks. The goal? Make sustainable molecules cheaper, greener, and more competitive across sectors like textiles and personal care.
Meanwhile in Finland…
🔬Research
🧫 Nature-Based Solutions Are Getting Smarter
At the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, SequestStar, a team led by Professor Elizabeth North, is using algae to capture and convert CO₂ into calcium carbonate. The process, which is inspired by natural events, has significant industrial potential.
The team is also exploring how to use waste streams from desalination plants to create low-carbon products for multiple industries.
📊 Industry
🌐 The Bigger Picture: Bioeconomy Rising
Even with economic uncertainty, the bioeconomy is picking up pace. It's not just about sustainability anymore—it’s about resilience. Governments and investors alike are doubling down, with strong policy acorss the globe to push bio-based innovation into the mainstream.
But there’s still a messaging gap…
🗝️Opportunities
💡 Got an Idea? €172M in EU Funding Is Now Open
The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) has launched a €172 million call for project proposals. With 13 focus areas ranging from sustainable feedstocks to end-of-life solutions, this is a major chance to get bio-based ideas off the ground.
Deadline: 18 September 2025. Time to polish that pitch deck.
🚆 Bio on Tour: BIC Tech Tour Circular 2025
Want to see the circular bioeconomy in action? The BIC Tech Tour 2025 will spotlight real-world projects and innovations happening across Europe. A great way to connect with peers, discover emerging tech, and get inspired by what’s possible when bio-based thinking meets circular ambition.
🗓️ 23 - 24 April, Belgium
This week’s updates reflect a growing confidence in bio-based innovation. The funding is flowing, the ideas are scaling, and cross-sector partnerships are deepening. Still, we’re not yet where we need to be. From infrastructure gaps to data standardization and public understanding, there’s a lot of groundwork to lay.
If the bioeconomy is to truly replace fossil-based systems, we need more than promising pilots—we need systemic shifts, equitable access, and smart policy alignment. Let’s celebrate progress, but keep asking: what will it take to scale these solutions—fast, fair, and for good?
Until next week!
Nina Purton 🌿
