Belgian biosurfactants startup AmphiStar has secured a €2m ($2.2m) grant from SPRIN-D, the German federal agency for disruptive innovation.
The grant will support the development of the Ghent-based company's advanced biotechnology platform, which focuses on creating biosurfactant molecules for personal and home care applications.
AmphiStar emerged as one of only six teams to pass to the programme’s second round, which supports disruptive innovation in the biotechnology sector.
The company previously secured €1.5m in the programme’s initial phase last year and is now competing for an additional €2m in the final round of funding, to be awarded next year to two top-performing teams.
During the first year of the SPRIN-D programme, the AmphiStar team successfully performed a continuous biomanufacturing process for 75 days - 15 days longer than the 60 days anticipated by SPRIN-D - using only waste materials to produce a completely novel and promising biosurfactant molecule.
AmphiStar’s biosurfactants are produced from organic waste- and side streams.
"What sets our technology apart is its ability to generate novel, high-performing molecules while keeping sustainability at its core," said Sophie Roelants, co-founder and COO of AmphiStar.
"This grant enables us to concentrate on developing entirely new, promising molecules at low technology readiness levels (TRL), all produced from waste through a continuous biomanufacturing process,” she added.
“Our goal is to reduce costs and enhance sustainability, while maintaining functionality, aligning perfectly with our mission to replace traditional surfactants with environmentally responsible, bio-based alternatives—without compromising on quality or affordability."
