The startup specializes in gas fermentation technology to produce protein and bioplastic derivatives, addressing the need for sustainable alternatives in agriculture and aquaculture. Their platform provides efficient fermentation services that enhance the quality and scalability of these bio-based products.
Funding
$270K raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current agricultural and aquaculture practices rely heavily on unsustainable protein sources like fishmeal, contributing to marine ecosystem depletion and long-distance shipping. Traditional plastic production depends on land-intensive crops, driving deforestation and competing with food production.
Solution
Circe leverages gas fermentation technology to produce sustainable protein and bioplastic derivatives, offering alternatives to conventional, environmentally damaging methods. Their core technology platform utilizes natural and biogases, including captured CO₂, to fuel bacterial fermentation, creating a protein-rich biomass and biodegradable polymers. The resulting single-cell protein serves as a sustainable alternative to fishmeal in animal and aquaculture feed, while the bioplastics, including polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polylactic acid (PLA), provide biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastics. Circe's patented "combined process" integrates single-cell protein and PHB manufacturing with CO₂ input to produce lactic acid, a key component in PLA production, without competing with food crops or contributing to deforestation.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes companies in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors seeking sustainable feed alternatives, as well as manufacturers looking for biodegradable plastic solutions.
Features
- Patented "combined process" for versatile manufacturing of protein and plastic derivatives using waste gases.
- Production of single-cell protein (SCP) with up to 70% protein content, offering a sustainable alternative to fishmeal.
- Production of biodegradable polymers, including PHA and PLA, for various applications like packaging and food containers.
- Utilization of a bacterial library to identify and optimize strains for efficient fermentation.
- Capability to capture and utilize CO₂ as a feedstock in the fermentation process.
- Production of lactic acid through a coupled process, enabling PLA production without land use competition.
- Scalable bioreactor technologies designed for continuous production and data generation.