Bioweg

Founded in 2019, Bioweg (formerly Cellulosic Technologies) is a German company that explores and combines biotechnology, material science, and molecular simulations to create and sell advanced sustainable and bio-based high-performance ingredients for the beauty, agriculture, and food/beverage industries. Bioweg transforms low-value by-products, residues, or wastes from the food and agriculture industry into valuable products. The company is powered by ChemDesign.

The company claims its ingredients are free from animal products and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It also claims that its production processes are globally scalable and environmentally friendly, with no harsh chemicals.

The company uses a pre-processing technique to create optimal microbial growth conditions and has identified high-yielding strains through lab-scale and factorial design-based experiments. Bioweg uses a patent-pending zero-waste process to produce sustainable microbial cellulose through fermentation and downstream process development and automation for optimal quality and yield. It also performs molecular simulations to customize products and gather information about the properties of cellulose fibrils.

The company produces biobased and biodegradable products that are customizable and available in various textures and sizes for multiple applications. Firstly, MicBead is a micro powder that can replace solid microplastics in cosmetics and personal care products. RheoWeg is a rheology modifier that can replace acrylic polymers in cosmetics and personal care products. HydroWeg is a hydrocolloid for plant-based food, and AgriWeg is an emulsion that can replace petroleum and acrylic-based coatings from fertilizers and seeds.

Key customers and partnerships

In February 2023 , the company collaborated with Ginkgo Bioworks, a leading platform for cell programming and biosecurity, to optimize bacterial cellulose production and develop novel cellulose variants with improved performance.

Funding and financials

In January 2022, The European Innovation Council recognized the company's exceptional work in developing sustainable products by awarding it a total of EUR 12.6 million (~USD 13.4 million), including EUR 2.5 million (~USD 2.7 million) in funding and EUR 10.1 million (~USD 10.7 million) in equity investment.