A first look at nine new IndieBio NY companies that will present to VCs next month

It was axenic coincidence, but months earlier nan pandemic took clasp astir nan world, IndieBio — a startup accelerator devoted to startups utilizing biology to lick ample problems — expanded its remit, adding a New York limb to nan operations it was already moving retired of San Francisco. Of course, it’s because of what nan world endured that much attraction than ever is being paid to life sciences startups, which is why we thought readers mightiness want a sneak peek astatine nan newest batch of startups that IndieBio NY is preparing to present to investors successful astir one month.

If you’re a laminitis aliases VC aliases simply an willing manufacture perceiver looking for insights into what’s bubbling up successful a scope of related areas, including agriculture, diagnostics, c and methane upcycling, and crab therapeutics, cheque retired what nan 9 teams person been moving on.

Some of IndieBio’s erstwhile breakout startups see nan cultivated nutrient institution Upside Foods (it raised $400 million past twelvemonth led by 2 sovereign wealthiness costs astatine a billion-dollar-plus valuation) and MycoWorks, a institution making leather retired of fungi and that closed a $125 million Series C information past twelvemonth astatine an undisclosed valuation. Another institution successful IndieBio’s portfolio to summation traction is NotCo, an outfit now besides backed by Jeff Bezos and Kraft Heinz that licenses its tech to nutrient and beverage manufacturers which want to “veganize” immoderate of their products.

Here’s that speedy snapshot of each:

***

FREZENT Biological Solutions

FREZENT says it’s processing a caller people of bispecific antibodies for targeting dormant crab cells that person survived chemotherapy and whitethorn origin recurrence. Its attack is to artifact metabolism successful dormant crab cells to forestall their reactivation and survival. The squad is presently focused connected monoclonal antibody find and proof-of-concept studies. More here.

***

Xias Bio Limited

According to Xias Bio, nan 3 astir important proteins successful skincare and haircare products—collagen, keratin, and elastin—typically travel from bovine hides, chickenhearted feathers, and nutrient processing byproducts (blech). Given rising concerns complete greenhouse state emissions, h2o pollution, and deforestation, a caller procreation of cosmetics consumers wants to spot nan manufacture switch those animal proteins pinch sustainable alternatives and Xias Bio is catering to them. Specifically, it has developed a molecular level for creating multi-functional, animal-free proteins to license. L’Oreal is already buying what it’s selling; later, opportunity nan startup’s founders, nan thought is to move beyond cosmetics and switch animal proteins successful a big of different areas, including successful pharmaceuticals and nan nutrient industry.

***

Earnest Agriculture

Earnest Agriculture says it has designed a microbial consortium that protects crops against diseases, pests, and drought while improving ungraded health. Applied arsenic a seed coating, those patented microbes tin boost yields by 7x, trim synthetic chemic use, and make crops much resilient to ambiance change, claims nan outfit. More here.

***

BioMetallica

BioMetallica’s pitch is that tens of millions of tons of electronics are discarded each year, overmuch of it incinerated, pinch billions of dollars of recoverable materials up successful fume successful nan process — not to mention nan merchandise of toxic fumes. The startup’s eco-friendly solution for recovering immoderate of these uncommon metals — palladium, platinum, and rhodium — is done genetically modified germs that nutrient biogenic chemicals that abstracted palladium group metals (PMGs) from e-waste, including spent catalytic converters.

***

Afynia

Afynia has created and patented a humor trial for diagnosing endometriosis early that returns a consequence successful days and — says nan startup —  will beryllium offered done clinics and location postulation kits opening adjacent year.  As pinch galore women’s wellness startups, nan team’s endometriosis trial is conscionable nan beginning, if each goes arsenic planned. The thought is to build a integer level that will supply diagnostics, virtual care, and medicine deliveries for endometriosis and different conditions. More here (note that nan startup was primitively named AIMA and hasn’t refreshed its tract conscionable yet).

***

Carbon Bridge

To meet EU emissions standards, cargo operators are already ordering methanol-powered ships, but greenish methanol can’t compete pinch lipid connected price, meaning take is slow going. CarbonBridge‘s solution to nan situation is what it describes arsenic a low-heat, low-pressure microbial process that upcycles c dioxide and methane into liquid methanol utilizing a bioreactor. More, it says, it tin root nan gasses inexpensively from complete 16,000 wastewater curen accommodation successful nan U.S. that usually pain them off.

***

Aequor

Aequor says it has discovered marine microbes that nutrient molecules that destruct bacterial slime successful minutes, and that applied successful h2o curen facilities, its liquid ore tin trim accepted chemic usage by 90%, little power usage by up to 15%, and forestall slime from clogging filters and causing shutdowns. The bigger ambition is to trim nan costs and biology effect of h2o curen while enabling greater entree to safe, affordable drinking water. More here.

***

Unibaio

Farmers walk astir $230 billion each twelvemonth connected herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers designed to summation harvest yields, but nan unintended consequences are well-documented and, well, not good. Unibaio says it has a amended alternative. According to nan company, it has developed a earthy microparticle that tin supercharge biologic harvest protectants by enabling them to penetrate plants much efficiently and trim nan magnitude of accepted chemic products needed by up to 80%.

***

Terra Bioindustries

Discarded nutrient accounts for 8-10% of greenhouse state emissions, arsenic nan founders of Terra Bioindustries will show you; it’s why nan institution developed a level for upcycling brewer’s spent grain, a brew byproduct that is apparently often difficult to sell. It useful via a low-energy enzymatic process that separates nan atom into edible sugars and proteins that are past sold to nutrient manufacturers and precision fermentation companies. By utilizing commercialized instrumentality recovered successful astir nutrient processing facilities, take tin beryllium inexpensive, too, says nan outfit. More here.