Delft-based DAB.bio secures new funding from Navus Ventures and others to advance fermentation technology

Dutch firm DAB.bio secures new investment from Navus Ventures and Capricorn Partners for the commercialisation of intensified continuous fermentation.

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Delft-based DAB.bio, a company that develops and deploys cutting-edge fermentation technology, announced that it has closed an investment round led by Navus Ventures.

Navus is a venture capital firm focused on high-tech startups and scale-ups, and is part of the family office affiliated with Lely. The company invests in businesses that drive the ongoing transitions towards sustainable food and energy sectors.

Olivier van Holthe tot Echten, Investment Associate of Navus Ventures, says, “The FAST platform of DAB.bio is a breakthrough in continuous fermentation, enabling cost-effective production of sustainable chemicals and food/feed ingredients, which fits very well into our investment strategy. We’re excited about this addition to our portfolio and to back the team as they enter their next phase of commercial growth.”

Others, including Capricorn Partners and existing investors, FORWARD.one, Innovation Quarter and Invest-NL also participated.

The investment will allow the Dutch company to provide its unique FAST platform technology to an increasing number of partners, enhancing their production capabilities in large-scale fermentation processes.

Furthermore, this funding will pave the way for a Series A funding round.

Eric van der Meer, Chief Executive Officer of DAB.bio, says, “We are extremely pleased with the support from our new and existing investors. The market for industrial biotechnology is very challenging, and we regard their investment at this stage as a very strong endorsement of the quality of the team and the potential of our products.”

“We have a strong pipeline, and have demonstrated the significant cost-reducing and, at times, enabling effect of continuous fermentation with FAST™. With this funding, we can deliver our first full-scale commercial deployment and pave the way to becoming a large, European biotechnology company with a global customer base,” adds van der Meer.

DAB.bio: Deploys cutting-edge fermentation technology

Led by Eric van der Meer, DAB.bio is specialised in industrial biomanufacturing with its FAST platform technology.

The platform enables continuous fermentation, offering performance levels that traditional fermentation processes cannot achieve while significantly lowering the cost of goods sold (COGS) and enhancing capital expenditure (capex) efficiency.

By licensing DAB.bio’s FAST technology, manufacturers can attain competitive cost structures and minimise their required investments.

According to the company, FAST is versatile and can be applied to various processes, products, or microbial hosts.

Additionally, it has a strong impact on the production costs of chemicals, lipids, alternative proteins, enzymes, and biofuels.

Daniela Arruda Costa, Investment Associate of Capricorn Partners, says, “We are very pleased to support DAB.bio with the mission to enable a biobased transition by lowering the costs of continuous fermentation at scale. DAB.bio aligns perfectly with the vision of Capricorn Industrial Biotech Fund to invest in ventures building a sustainable society.”