Biotech

Ferment Launches $20M Studio Fund to Accelerate Bio-Enabled Innovation

Ferment, a venture studio that creates bio-enabled product companies, has launched a new $20 million studio fund to rapidly translate biology into products that solve targeted problems across sectors including energy, agriculture, materials, and health.
Photo by Michael Schiffer on Unsplash

Key Takeaways:

  • New Studio Fund: Ferment has launched a $20 million studio fund to create companies that transform biology into market-ready products across energy, agriculture, materials, and health sectors.
  • First Investment: The fund’s first $2.5 million investment is in Alchemyca, a company optimizing organic waste conversion into renewable natural gas.
  • Track Record: Ferment has founded seven companies since 2021, all focused on product development and commercialization, attracting corporate partners like Vale, Suncor, Chanel, and Nutreco.
  • Unique Approach: Ferment prioritizes product-focused companies led by seasoned industry veterans to solve targeted problems efficiently.
  • Backed by Industry Expertise: Ferment’s partners bring decades of experience in biotechnology, and the fund’s core LP is South Korean conglomerate GS Group.

Ferment, a venture studio focused on bio-enabled innovation, has launched a $20 million studio fund to accelerate the commercialization of biology-based products. This initiative aims to solve pressing industry problems in sectors such as energy, agriculture, materials, and health by leveraging advances in biotechnology.

First Investment: Alchemyca

The fund’s first creation and $2.5 million investment is Alchemyca, a company dedicated to improving the efficiency of converting organic waste into renewable natural gas. Currently, biogas plants convert less than 20% of available carbon into biomethane. Alchemyca’s solution integrates enzymes, sensors, and AI tools to improve efficiency by up to 50%, unlocking organic waste as a valuable feedstock for renewable energy and versatile chemicals.

“Waste is an unavoidable externality of our daily lives, but it can become an extremely valuable resource with the right optimization tools,” said Patrick Vagner, CEO of Alchemyca and former biofuels commercialization leader at bp.

Alchemyca’s technology partnerships with Ginkgo Bioworks and Novonesis position it to become a leader in renewable natural gas production.

A Unique Model for Bio-Enabled Products

Since its founding in 2021, Ferment has created seven companies that focus on product development rather than research. These companies launch revenue-generating products within three years by outsourcing technical infrastructure, such as cell engineering and enzyme manufacturing, to established partners with economies of scale.

“Biology has untapped potential to make industries more efficient and sustainable while delighting consumers with better products,” said Jason Kakoyiannis, Ferment’s managing partner. “The biotech industry’s biggest hurdle outside of pharma isn’t technology—it’s identifying the right problems to solve.”

Expert Leadership and Strategic Partnerships

Ferment companies are led by seasoned industry veterans with deep knowledge of their markets, ensuring a quick path to market. The studio is backed by a core limited partner, GS Group, a South Korean conglomerate with interests in energy, refining, and chemicals, highlighting the demand for practical bio-enabled solutions.

A Vision for the Future

The Ferment Studio Fund is actively seeking operators with industry-specific challenges to help build new companies. By focusing on market-ready applications, Ferment aims to unlock the potential of biotechnology to create impactful solutions within three years.

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