genomatica

Green chemicals company Genomatica files for IPO

Genomatica, a company that makes chemicals from plants rather than oil, said today it plans to go public and raise $100 million.

The company today filed its S-1 document with the Securities and Exchange Commission and laid out its strategy and risks. Genomatica follows a handful of other green-tech companies that have filed to go public this year, despite the recent rocky ride of the stock markets.

San Diego-based Genomatica makes industrial chemicals used in the production of everyday products, such as plastics used in car interiors, pharmaceuticals, and apparel.

Instead of using oil or natural gas as a feedstock … Read more

Bouncing from sugar cane to synthetic rubber

Genomatica said today it has successfully produced butadiene, following the trend of many biofuel and biotech start-ups pushing into industrial chemicals.

The company said that it has made enough butadiene from renewable feedstocks, such as sugar cane, to demonstrate the viability of the process. Genomatica's first chemical process is converting sugar cane into a chemical called BDO, which is used to make automotive plastics, running shoes, and spandex fabric.

Butadiene is used as an ingredient in making latex and synthetic rubber for products such as tires. The prices of butadiene have risen over the past few months, which is … Read more

Waste Management inks another trash-to-treasure deal

Waste Management seems to be on a quest to see what else it can do with all that trash and recycling it collects.

The garbage collection giant signed an agreement with biotech start-up Genomatica to develop technology that would turn syngas into commercial chemical products, both companies announced last week.

Syngas, consisting mostly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is what gets produced when waste materials are broken down by exposure to high heat, pressure, and bacteria.

Though the particular chemicals in mind were not mentioned, it's easy to suss out what Genomatica might develop. The company already has developed … Read more

While biofuels sputter, green chemicals attract cash

After betting big on biofuels with little success, investors appear to be switching gears to focus more on making chemicals from plants.

Chemical company Genomatica on Thursday said that it has raised $15 million in series C financing, which was led by TPG Biotch, a venture capital arm of private equity company Texas Pacific Group. With the money, Genomatica plans to start building a demonstration facility later this year to produce the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol, or BDO, from sugar and to expand its product line.

Genomatica is one of several biotechnology companies using genetically modified organisms to make fuels … Read more

From sugar water to Spandex

Someday, your Spandex tights and car dashboard may be made out of sugar cane rather than petroleum, if start-up Genomatica succeeds on its plans.

The San Diego-based start-up on Tuesday said that it has reached a technical milestone in converting sugar--derived from sugar cane or beets--into an industrial plastic called 1,4-butanediol, or BDO. It's a material that's appeals to the auto, apparel, and pharmaceutical industries for a variety of uses.

Genomatica uses a genetically modified strain of E.coli bacteria to convert sugar water into BDO through fermentation. On Tuesday it said it demonstrated that it can … Read more

Genomatica brews sugar into industrial chemicals

"Green chemistry" start-up Genomatica on Tuesday said that it has developed a process to use sugar, rather than petroleum, to produce a common industrial chemical.

The announcement, timed to coincide with the GoingGreen conference in San Francisco this week, is a milestone for the company which made a business strategy shift last year from developing software for genetic engineering to licensing specially designed micro-organisms.

Its first product is a bacteria tuned to turn sugar during fermentation into 1,4 Butanediol (BDO), a chemical used as an additive to textiles and car bumpers. The company expects to have its … Read more