Holiferm to bring sophorolipids to mass market through first commercial plant following $9.5 million investment round
In the fourth quarter of 2021 Holiferm closed a $9.5m fundraising round, which will allow the company to build its first commercial plant and increase its work researching and developing eco-friendly biosurfactants for use in detergents, personal care and cosmetics.
Holiferm is a spin out from the University of Manchester based at Greenheys MSP, Sci-Tech Daresbury and Wallasey. The company’s long-term vision is to develop a range of sustainable, green biosurfactants that will remove the global market's dependency on petrochemicals. It aims to do this by disrupting the market and offering an environmentally friendly and economically priced alternative.
The $9.5m investment round, with funding from US firm Rhapsody Ventures, the UK Clean Growth Fund and ICOS Capital from the Netherlands will enable the company to build the world largest sophorolipid manufacturing facility. It will also support the company as it launches its products in to chemical markets around the world.
The new commercial manufacturing plant will be located in Wallasey, in the Wirral. The site will manufacture 1,100 tonnes of biosurfactant a year to meet anticipated demand from around the world. Ground is due to be broken on the project in January 2022, with the build of the plant taking most of the year. Holiferm hopes to have the plant complete and operational in quarter one 2023.
Richard Lock, Holiferm managing director, said: “We’re trying to redefine what chemical manufacturing means. There’s a great misconception that it has to entail huge power stations and industrial plants. We use a process that is completely green. We are working with a molecule that has been designed not by humans, but by nature.
"This fundraising round is another landmark moment in our quest to bring biosurfactants to the mass market. Rhapsody Venture Partners, the Clean Growth Fund and ICOS Capital have so much experience between them and match our drive and commitment in this endeavour, so we are excited to be working with them all.”
Surfactants are a key ingredient in the manufacture of home care, detergents, cosmetics and personal care products. Currently most mainstream products in these industries use petrochemical based surfactants, which cause harm to the environment. Whilst some environmentally-friendly products do exist, they use a costly yeast-based batch fermentation process making them costly to use, a cost which is usually passed on to the consumer. Holiferm has developed a patented gravity separation continuous approach which allows its green products to be sold to the mass market at a competitive price point.
Holiferm currently has two products available; HoneySurf and Holisurf. Both products come in HF (high foaming) and LF (low foaming) varieties. HoneySurf is recommended for the home care, industrial and agriculture markets. Whilst HoliSurf has applications in cosmetics and personal care products.