Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products is a technology company.
Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products has raised $29.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products has raised $29.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products has raised $29.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products's investors include Bloomberg Beta, IA Ventures, OS Fund, Quiet Capital, The General Partnership, Immad Akhund, Samvit Ramadurgam, Leta Capital, Jack Levin.
Lygos, Inc. is a sustainable specialty chemical company that develops high-performing bio-based materials using precision material science and bio-manufacturing to replace petrochemicals.[1][2][8] It produces specialty chemicals and polymers for industries including agronomy, home care, personal care, water treatment, and fragrances, solving problems like toxic processes, plastic pollution, and high emissions by leveraging renewable feedstocks such as sugar and CO₂.[2][4][6] Products like Soltellus™ (agronomy material applied to 350,000+ acres in its first year) and bio-based superabsorbent polymers demonstrate strong early traction, with commercial adoption in US/Canada home care brands and partnerships enabling capital-efficient scaling via existing infrastructure.[1][2]
Lygos serves manufacturers and brands seeking sustainable inputs that maintain or exceed performance, such as stronger crop yields, effective cleaners, and biodegradable alternatives, while minimizing Scope 3 emissions.[2][6] Growth momentum includes rapid commercialization, a growing distributor network, and plans for adjacent commercial plants to produce acids for personal care and coatings.[2][7]
Founded in 2010 (or 2011 per some records) in the San Francisco Bay Area—initially in Berkeley, now based in Hayward, California—Lygos emerged from advances in synthetic biology and cheap DNA editing to revolutionize materials manufacturing.[3][4][5] Originally focused on engineering yeast and microbes to ferment sugars into high-value bio-based chemicals like malonic acid (Bio-Malonate™) and aspartic acid (Bio-Aspartic™, Bio-Glyceric™), it addressed petrochemical dependency in industries from ag to healthcare.[3][5][9] CEO Eric Steen has highlighted biotech's role in diverse sectors, with early R&D targeting smart materials, specialty additives, and nutrient delivery.[5]
Pivotal moments include early commercialization of Soltellus™ and partnerships with manufacturers like Dober and CJ Cheiljedang, enabling scale without heavy capex; the company evolved from biotech fermentation to integrated material science, blending chemistry and applications for market-ready solutions.[1][2] This pragmatic shift backward-integrated sustainable products into supply chains, differentiating from prior biobased failures.[2][7]
Lygos rides the bioindustrial manufacturing wave, using engineered microbes (yeast, bacteria) for decentralized, feedstock-flexible production of chemicals from U.S. ag waste or sugars, reducing fossil fuel reliance amid tightening plastic regs and Scope 3 pressures.[3][4][6] Timing aligns with global sustainability mandates, consumer demand for natural alternatives, and biotech maturity (e.g., DNA editing), enabling $B markets in polymers, ag, and personal care.[5][6]
Market forces favor it: rural job growth from domestic feedstocks, decentralized biodegradable plastics, and outperforming petro routes in cost/impact for niches like superabsorbents and nutrient systems.[4][6] Lygos influences the ecosystem by proving scalable bio-replacements (e.g., via partnerships, DoD-funded projects), bridging biotech-chemical gaps, and accelerating transitions in materials for climate challenges.[1][5][7]
Lygos is poised for expansion with commercial plants for biobased acids, targeting coatings, personal care, and agronomy via custom formulations.[7] Trends like regulatory microplastic bans, AI-optimized metabolic engineering, and circular supply chains will propel growth, unlocking apps in medical polymers, bio-responsive packaging, and adhesives.[5][6] Its influence may evolve as a key enabler of sustainable materials at scale, proving biotech delivers "better materials for better products" through partnerships and precision—echoing its mission to make sustainability functional, not just aspirational.[2][8]
Lygos - Better Materials for Better Products has raised $29.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $16.0M Lygos - Series B in July 2018.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2018 | $16.0M Lygos - Series B | Bloomberg Beta, IA Ventures, OS Fund, Quiet Capital, The General Partnership, Immad Akhund, Samvit Ramadurgam | |
| Dec 1, 2016 | $13.0M Lygos - Series A | Bloomberg Beta, IA Ventures, Leta Capital, OS Fund, Quiet Capital, The General Partnership, Immad Akhund, Jack Levin, Samvit Ramadurgam |