Climate-KIC: Horizon3 and Dutch Greentech Fund invest in Waste2Chemical

Dutch Climate-KIC start-up is investor ready.

Waste2Chemical, a pioneer in developing high added value chemicals from waste streams, raised first round investment from Horizon3 and Dutch Greentech Fund on the 4th April in Wageningen.

Innovative platform technology for biobased chemicals

Waste2Chemical develops a platform technology for the production of biobased components for the chemical, food and/or feed industry. The company, founded in 2010, aims at developing cost effective chemical building blocks for paint, plastics and lubricants, but also additives in feed, food en pharma products. With the technology, developed at Wageningen UR sub-department of Environmental technology, the company can process multiple organic waste streams, that are currently being digested of composted. The company works with prominent strategic partners in the waste management and agrofood industry.

Strength through important partnerships

Kirsten Steinbusch, co-founder and director of Waste2Chemical: “Waste2Chemical is entering a very important year in which our patented technology will be scaled-up from lab to pilot scale. The participation of Horizon3 and Dutch Greentech Fund and the involvement of strategic partners will enable us to quickly realize a successful pilot run. The aim of the pilot is to confirm the robustness of the fermentation technology and to generate product samples to serve our future customers.”

Horizon3 and DGF provide management support, knowledge and network

Founder and managing partner of Horizon3, Bart Raedts: “Waste2Chemical brings recycling of organic streams to a higher level. We expect that the conversion of valuable residues to energy will strongly be reduced in the future, for the reason that better and more sustainable techniques will be available compared to the current techniques. In this way, higher added value products will be created from similar residues, which in addition reduces the dependence on long-term subsidized projects. To our opinion Waste2chemical has such a technique.”
DGF Fund manager Guus Verhees adds: “Waste2Chemical operates at the heart of the biobased economy, one of the investment themes of the Dutch Greentech Fund. The very innovative application has its origin in the fundamental research of DGF’s partner Wageningen UR. Together with our other partners Rabobank, TU Delft and WNF we will contribute to successfully develop this promising technology.

About Waste2Chemical

Waste2Chemical was founded in 2010 and based in Wageningen. Both founders, Kirsten Steinbusch and Niels van Stralen, financed their venture in the initial phase by consultancy work, loans, awards and grants from Startlife, NGI, New Venture, Climate KIC, BE-Basic and the province of Gelderland.