Ferment

We wouldn’t want solving data infrastructure scaling problems of global significance to get in the way of romance this Valentine's Day, so we’re extending the RFP-01 application deadline to February 21! Check out the application and get in touch with the Ferment here to share your idea for how biology can make a dent in AI data infrastructure: https://lnkd.in/e36wn6dV

After last week’s DeepSeek launch, we continue to have conviction that the real world footprint behind AI will be massive and that biotechnology will play a role in its efficient, performant, and sustainable scaling. No matter where in the world the models are made, the infrastructure to run these models requires new solutions to enable their temperature, water, material, and waste management needs. We’re calling for creative thinkers to join Ferment in solving these challenges with biotechnology. Apply to our RFP to co-build a company at the intersection of biotechnology and compute infrastructure by Feb 14: https://lnkd.in/e36wn6dV

Everyone agrees AI will reshape biotech - but biology is about to reshape AI too. At the end of 2024, we launched our new $20M Ferment Studio Fund with an RFP (“Request for Problems”) in consumer and industrial markets where biology can make a real impact. Today, we’re announcing our first targeted RFP focused on the intersection of biology and data infrastructure. AI has a significant physical footprint, demanding extensive chemical inputs, energy, and water. From chip manufacturing to data center operations, we see opportunity to apply biological innovation to improve heat management, reduce and remediate process water & wastewater, create cleaner and higher performant materials, and enable intelligent sensors across our compute infrastructure and value chains. We’re seeking entrepreneurs with ideas for unique bio-enabled solutions to redefine how data centers and the computing industry operate. Selected teams will receive up to $3M in support to drive these innovations forward. Click here to see our RFP and apply: https://lnkd.in/ebMXK3YY

Bio-enabled solutions are coming to market in hard tech industries like mining (Endolith, Aether), advanced materials (Pegasus Materials B.V., Checkerspot, Cambium), waste remediation (Allonnia, LanzaTech), and renewable energy (Gold H2, Alchemyca Biotech)—why not AI's growing footprint? Today, we’re launching the first RFP from our new venture studio fund: optimizing how data infrastructure scales, using biotech. The opportunities and needs are big. Here are some of the critical problem areas we’re particularly excited about: 🔥 HEAT: Improve thermal efficiency in data centers with bio-enabled materials and coolants 💧 WATER: Manage water use and waste for manufacturing and data centers with new bio-inspired tools ⛓ MATERIALS: Innovate with nanofabrication, biotemplating, and programmable materials 🎛 SENSORS: Advance real-time monitoring with bio-based sensors 💡 We’re looking for industry trailblazers with bold ideas to solve these problems—and you do NOT need to be a biology expert. Selected applicants will join Ferment as Entrepreneurs in Residence, collaborating with our team and network to design a Venture-ready business, starting with $50K and the potential for up to $3M in seed funding. 📅 Apply by February 14 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e36wn6dV

Check out what our Managing Partner Jason Kakoyiannis had to say about biotech company-building in conversation with Karl Schmieder, MS MFA and Erum Azeez Khan! If you're building with biology in consumer or industrial markets, get in touch!

Thanks for the coverage SynBioBeta! Here's our RFP from our LinkedIn commmunity: 1) If you are building in consumer or industrial biotech, please reach out! 2) If you are an industry veteran in food & nutrition, consumer health, industrials & waste, or materials thinking hard about problems in your space that biology can help solve, please reach out! 3) If you are a corporate curious about how to innovate with biotechnology, please reach out!

Ferment Launches $20M Fund to Boost Biotech Solutions https://lnkd.in/drS8wP-5 #Readmagazine #news #industries #Artificialintelligence #energy #Ferment #BiotechSolutions #bioenabledproduct #biology 

The top regional #healthcare and #biotech news for November 20th via the Big4Bio newsletters: San Diego: Valora Therapeutics, Inc. Raises $30M; Mirador Therapeutics, 23andMe's Collab; Wearable Ultrasound Patch https://lnkd.in/gPBAWcV8 SF Bay: Exec Hires; Verge Genomics Hits Milestones; Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc.'s IND Cleared https://lnkd.in/gezjm33Q Seattle: CalmWave Raises $5.2M; Aptevo Therapeutics Inc’s AML Breakthrough; HealthTechs in Seattle Among Top 100 https://lnkd.in/gRRMGXhR Los Angeles: Ferment's $20M Biotech Boost; Puma Biotechnology, Inc. Advances Breast Cancer Drug Trial; HealthTechs in LA Among Top 100 https://lnkd.in/gZxsjBfN Boston: Flagship Partners With Pfizer, Names Exec; Sage Therapeutics Drops Huntington's Drug; Upcoming Events https://lnkd.in/gZzpDVAu Philadelphia: Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. Shares Surge; Uvax Bio's HIV-1 Vaccine; More on Vitara Biomedical https://lnkd.in/gzwBv3Ks Capital Region: Georgiamune Inc. Appoints CBO; Biolojic Design, Ltd. Joins JLABS; Precision For Medicine, Agenda Ink Strategic Partnership https://lnkd.in/g_AbzwDH NYC: Exec Appointments; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.) Submits BLA; Lisata Therapeutics, Inc. Wins BioTech Breakthrough Award; More on Merck https://lnkd.in/gAtnerg5

Send us your problems! Many of you know how we build biology powered companies at Ferment because you've helped us along the way. Today we’re announcing our new Studio Fund, which allows us to create the next wave of companies that intertwine biology with other technologies to solve problems across different markets. Our request: Are you an experienced commercial leader (or know someone who is) fixated on a problem in your industry and think biology can help? Get in touch, let’s roll up our sleeves and build something together! Please welcome Alchemyca Biotech with Patrick Vagner, the first company launched from this new Studio Fund to maximize renewable natural gas from waste. It joins the other Ferment companies, Verb Biotics with Todd Beckman, Ayana Bio with Frank Jaksch, BiomEdit Aaron Schacht, Arcaea with Jasmina Aganovic, and Allonnia with Nicole Richards. Lastly, a big thank you to our partners and LP, GS Holdings - we're excited to build the next industry-defining biocompanies with you! Taehong Huh Jon Huh (허준녕) Gu Min Jeong Some thoughts on what we are doing here...https://lnkd.in/ggRp8hsw

Big developments in the synbio community! Ferment, a company creation studio founded by former Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. executive Jason Kakoyiannis, has just launched a $20 million fund dedicated to commercializing biology in transformative ways. Their first venture, Alchemyca, is set to revolutionize renewable methane production by enhancing the efficiency of anaerobic digesters using proprietary enzyme technology. Alchemyca's approach increases methane yields from waste by an impressive 50% by pre-treating it with specialized enzymes. This not only accelerates the breakdown of complex organic materials but also taps into lucrative climate credits and carbon markets. It's a win-win for both the environment and the economy. What truly stands out is Ferment's market-first approach. Instead of technology searching for a problem, they're starting with real-world challenges and applying biological solutions. This strategy bridges the gap between innovation and application, setting a new blueprint for the biotech industry. Congratulations to Jason and the entire team at Ferment and Alchemyca! I’m eager to see how this inspires the next wave of bio-enabled companies focused on tangible impact. #SyntheticBiology #Biotech #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Innovation