- Funding fuels next phase of biomanufacturing development for cutting-edge tailored molecules for personal- and home care industries.
- AmphiStar advances to final round of funding programme, with potential for an additional €2M grant next year.
Ghent, 15 October 2024 – Belgian biotech startup AmphiStar, a pioneer in sustainable surfactant products, has been awarded a prestigious €2M non-dilutive grant from SPRIN-D (Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation), bringing the total funding the Belgian innovator secured this year to €10M. This grant, part of a highly competitive multi-stage funding programme backed by the German government, will support the continued development of AmphiStar’s advanced biotechnology platform, which focuses on creating tailored, designer biosurfactant molecules for the personal- and home care markets.
Following a rigorous selection process, AmphiStar emerged as one of only six teams to pass to the programme’s second round, which supports disruptive innovation in the biotechnology sector. The company previously secured €1.5M in the programme’s initial phase last year and is now competing for an additional €2M in the final round of funding, to be awarded next year to two top-performing teams.
“This grant will enable us to push forward our most ambitious innovation goals,” said Pierre-Franck Valentin, CEO of AmphiStar. “With the freedom that non-dilutive funding provides, we can continue to develop and refine our bespoke, sustainable surfactants that meet the growing demand for high-performance, eco-friendly solutions in personal- and home care. This support reinforces the German government’s recognition of our breakthrough technology and its potential to revolutionise the industry.”
AmphiStar’s biotechnology platform is at the forefront of a new era in surfactant production, leveraging synthetic biology to create designer molecules that meet specific performance needs. These tailor-made biosurfactants, produced from organic waste- and side streams, not only offer a sustainable alternative to mainstream chemically produced surfactants (fossil- and biobased) and other commercial microbial biosurfactants but also unlock new possibilities for innovation in the cleaning, cosmetics, and personal care industries.
“What sets our technology apart is its ability to generate novel, high-performing molecules while keeping sustainability at its core,” said Sophie Roelants, Co-founder and COO of AmphiStar. “This grant enables us to concentrate on developing entirely new, promising molecules at low technology readiness levels (TRL), all produced from waste through a continuous biomanufacturing process. Our goal is to reduce costs and enhance sustainability, while maintaining functionality, aligning perfectly with our mission to replace traditional surfactants with environmentally responsible, bio-based alternatives—without compromising on quality or affordability.”
AmphiStar’s technology offers vast potential applications in personal care, home care, and beyond, and this funding brings the company one step closer to realising that vision. During the first year of the SPRIN-D programme, the AmphiStar team successfully performed a continuous biomanufacturing process for an impressive 75 days—15 days longer than the 60 days anticipated by SPRIN-D—using only waste materials to produce a completely novel and promising biosurfactant molecule.
This pioneering and breakthrough approach was recognised by the highly regarded international jury assembled by SPRIN-D. Continuous biomanufacturing is crucial for reducing the costs of novel and sustainable biochemicals, allowing them to penetrate markets driven by functionality and cost considerations.
The €2M grant from SPRIN-D is a significant milestone for AmphiStar, reflecting its leadership in the biosurfactant and biomanufacturing field and the strong demand for sustainable, scalable solutions in industries where performance, cost and environmental impact are critical.
This new phase of funding marks another step forward in AmphiStar’s journey to bring its tailored, sustainable products to a global market, with exciting developments to come in the year ahead.
