EV Biotech kicks off, Investment from Carduso Capital, UMCG-Hanzepoort and RuG-Holding

Shifting the chemical market from petrochemical-based to biological-based compound production: a revolutionary step for a more sustainable world.

EV Biotech has been granted investments from Carduso Capital, in addition to the UMCG-Hanzepoort and RUG-Holding cooperation, to develop their microbial cell factories. EV Biotech creates micro-organism that effectively produce high value chemical compounds in a biological fashion. These organisms will be used for industrial scale production of these chemicals. The method EV Biotech uses to create their cell factories is revolutionary to the field. EV Biotech has created a digital laboratory to test all cell possibilities in advance, limiting time, waste, expenses and carbon footprint. A green and biological way to produce molecules used in Fragrance, Flavour, Pharma, Plastic, Agricultural and Fuel industries. 3 former PhD students from the University of Groningen founded the company.

EV Biotech creates a new production platform for high value chemicals using computational modelling and micro-organisms. The production of the molecules will be biological, green and effective. The products made through this platform are of high purity, which is often hard to reach with chemical synthetic production. EV Biotech has been operational since July 2018 and is kicking off its laboratory activities now in the InnoLab AgriFood on the Campus Groningen. The technology used by EV Biotech creates a more sustainable production platform. EV Biotech has created a digital laboratory that can predict the most effective organism to produce specialty chemicals. Directly after the closing EV Biotech is strengthening its team to 6 people working on the developments.

“The investment in EV Biotech will allow the company to prove the effectiveness of their novel production pipeline by creating 4 proof of concept micro-organism factories which will be implemented into the market. EV Biotech serves the need of great chemical production firms. The investment together, with RUG-Holding and UMCG-Hanzepoort will help EV Biotech to break the petrochemical based chemical market to become bio-based.” Says Koos Koops, one of the Carduso fund managers. Founder and CEO Linda Dijkshoorn adds: “To reach a sustainable future we need to move away from chemical synthesis and use natures inventions to our advantage. Having 3 strong partners as investors will help us achieve this goal faster and more effectively.” EV Biotech will work on their proof of concepts in the coming two years to enter the market with their proof of concepts and start CRO activities.

Patrick Brouns as representative of the province of Groningen, also a partner of Carduso Capital through its Investeringsfonds Groningen (IFG) says: “Because of the possibilities Carduso Capital has to offer new initiatives, potential ‘hidden gems’, will come to the surface and further energise the regional economic activity; one of our main goals with IFG.”