Octarine Bio

Octarine Bio, a synthetic biology company headquartered in Copenhagen, was established in 2018 by Nethaji Gallage and Nick Milne. The company leverages precision fermentation and microbial engineering to develop sustainable, bio-based ingredients for a variety of industries. Gallage, serving as the CEO, brings a background as a Senior Scientist at the University of Copenhagen and has over 15 years of experience in metabolic engineering, natural product biosynthesis, and yeast engineering. Milne, the CSO, holds a PhD in chemical and biological engineering and specializes in engineering yeast to produce valuable molecules. Their combined expertise forms the technical foundation of the company's work in creating cell factories for producing complex natural compounds.

The company's core technology platform focuses on engineering yeast to produce cannabinoids and psilocybin-derivatives for therapeutic applications, as well as other natural ingredients. This is achieved through advanced metabolic engineering, which modifies the yeast's genetic pathways to efficiently create these target molecules. In 2021, Octarine Bio secured a €2 million seed funding round led by Danish investors, including the Fermentation Gut Hub and a Vækstfonden-managed fund, to advance its technology and scale up production. A significant milestone was achieved in 2023 with the launch of a new R&D facility in Copenhagen, enabling the company to double its capacity. Earlier, in 2020, the company had received a grant of over €500,000 from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU) to develop a bio-based textile dyeing technology.

Octarine Bio operates on a business-to-business model, partnering with companies in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and textile industries to provide them with sustainably produced ingredients. A key product in their pipeline is PurePalette™, a bio-based textile dye intended as a direct replacement for synthetic dyes derived from petroleum. This product aims to address the environmental pollution associated with the textile industry by offering a biodegradable and sustainable alternative. The company's technology allows for the production of a wide spectrum of colors through fermentation, offering a drop-in solution for textile manufacturers seeking to improve their environmental footprint.

Keywords: synthetic biology, precision fermentation, microbial engineering, bio-based ingredients, sustainable textiles, cannabinoids, metabolic engineering, yeast engineering, natural compounds, biosynthetics