BIOWEG lifts Series A to €30M to build Europe's largest bacterial cellulose plant
What's the deal? BIOWEG, an industrial biotech company based in Elsdorf, Germany, has extended its Series A to a total of €30 million. The extension came from new investor Rabo Ventures and €10.3 million in European UnionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → funding through the Produktives.NRW grant competition under the EFRE/JTF Programme for North Rhine-Westphalia 2021–2027.
What does the company do? BIOWEG develops biodegradable ingredients to replace acrylic polymer-based microplastics. It aims to give industries a drop-in alternative to the synthetic polymers used across consumer and industrial products.
Why now? The extension marks a step-up from the company's first Series A, a €16 million round that closed in September 2025. BIOWEG's own release puts total funding at €35 million across all sources, combining the extended €18 million equity Series A with €10.3 million in EU non-dilutive funding and further grant support.
What's the endgame? The capital will fund what BIOWEG calls Europe's largest bacterial cellulose production plant, to be built in Elsdorf. Construction is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with first commercial volumes expected in 2028.
How it works: Once operational, the plant is planned to produce up to 10,000 tonnes of bacterial cellulose a year. It will use molasses and other food and agriculture side streams as fermentation feedstocks, turning industrial byproducts into a biodegradable material supply.
The signal: As regulators tighten rules on microplastics, biotech firms are racing to scale drop-in replacements. BIOWEG's bet is that a large plant can prove biodegradable materials work at industrial volume and price.
Read more: BIOWEG · StartupMafia
