by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, The Digest announced the NEXT 50, “the 50 Next Companies to Disrupt the World”, for 2020. The NEXT 50 are companies whose emerging technology promises to disrupt markets (or is already doing so) and powering a transition from the old economy to the bioeconomy based on rapid innovation and the sustainable use of natural, renewable resources.

The advanced bioeconomy has diversified significantly and the NEXT 50 includes companies focused on fuels, chemicals, foods, new crops and crop protection, animal feeds, and engineered biology services. In all, 17 materials companies were recognized, 7 from crop development and agtech, 9 in advanced foods and feed, 11 from fuels & chemicals, 11 in engineered biology products & services.

The NEXT 50 will be officially recognized at ABLC 2021 in Washington DC.

“There were a number of companies that poll extremely well in our HOT 50 rankings but were too advanced in their journey to commercial scale, or had been recognized in our 2019 cohort,” said Digest editor Jim Lane. “And we had companies like Twist for whom the designation was long overdue. So, we consider that the NEXT 50 represents the next generation of companies coming along, but there are plenty of others out there that are disrupting the world in the years to come.”  READ MORE; includes website links to awardees.

The NEXT 50 for 2020 are:

Ag-Grid Energy
AGERPoint
AgriSea
Algenesis
Allbirds
AralezBio
Beeflow
Benson Hill Biosystems
Biofine Developments
Brightmark

BTG Bioliquids
Carbix
Cemvita Factory
CinderBio
Climax Foods
CoverCress
Decomer Technology
Desserto
Evolved by Nature
Finless Foods

Forge Hydrocarbons
GALY
GranBio
Kaffe Bueno
Liberum
Lingrove
Memphis Meats
Microbiogen
Modern Meadow
Mosa Meat

MycoWorks
N2 Applied
Natural Fiber Welding
New Age Meats
NovoNutrients
Plastomics
Rebundle
RNAissance
Spiber
Spintex
The Not Company
Thousand Fell

Tierra Biosciences
Twist Bioscience
Vanguard Renewables
ViaeX
W-Cycle
Ways2H
Wild Type
ZestBio

The Next 50 for 2019 were:

Agrisoma
AlgaPrime DHA by Corbion
Algix
Anellotech
Apeel Sciences
Arzeda
Avantium
Calysta
Checkerspot
Clara Foods

ClearFlame Engines
Crop Enhancement
Culture Biosciences
DMC Bio
Ecovia Renewables
Evolva
Fulcrum BioEnergy
Geltor
Genomatica
Gevo/Renmatix hydrocarbons

Ginkgo BioWorks
HelioBioSys
Impossible Foods
Indigo
Industrial Microbes
Inscripta
Itaconix
LanzaJet
Levadura Biotech
Licella

Lygos
Mango Materials
Motif
Oberon Fuels
Opus 12
Perfect Day
Pivot Bio
Provivi
Qualitas Health
Red Rock Biofuels

SBI Bioenergy
Sierra Energy
Sironix
sunliquid by Clariant
Sylvatex
Velocys
Vertimass
Visolis
ZeaKal
Zymergen

Exclusive Digest Q&A with ADM on Spiber Brewed Protein, biopolymers, partnership (Biofuels Digest)

€7.5 million grant from National Programme Groningen confirmed (Avanatium)

Avantium gets $9 million grant to support the construction of FDCA flagship plant (Biofuels Digest)

Full Velocys-ity (Biofuels International)

Zy Spy an IPO: Of Zymergen and its monster public company debut, and the risks investors love (Biofuels Digest)

Whither goest thou, Zymergen? (Biofuels Digest)

Excerpt from Biofuels Digest: Over the summer and fall, Zymergen’s Hyaline thin films project fell into crisis. There were reports of customer disappointment, expected revenues de-materialized, the stock price collapsed, two of the three co-founders left, and former Illumina CEO Jay Flatley stepped in as interim CEO. It was a year only Rough Riders could have enjoyed in Zymerland.

Flatley ordered a product review, and in November, news emerged that “several programs will be discontinued” and the cuts included:

• The electronics film programs, with the exception of ZYM0101, which is being developed in partnership with Sumitomo Chemical. Emerging data on the market segment being targeted with Hyaline and other electronics films indicates a smaller near-term opportunity than previously expected.
• The consumer care programs, including insect repellent, ZYM0201. Based on the portfolio review, the costs of customer acquisition with a direct-to-consumer model were prohibitive and, in the case of ZYM0201, it could not be produced and distributed at a price point competitive with incumbent products.

More than 200 people were laid off, the company is renegotiating its space lease arrangements, and restructuring some $100 million in debt. Overall, Flatley’s goal has been to extend the cash burn runway until further into 2023 and get some products moving commercially, fast. As a company with $99 million in quarterly expenses and $4M in quarterly revenue, ahem, ought to be doing, now that the hoped for zillions from Hyaline will not arrive soon, if ever.

The company is accelerating now three different programs,commenting:

“Two programs in the healthcare market have been promoted: one for development of key enzymes used in vaccine production, and a second in drug discovery, both of which build on previously existing programs and leverage core company capabilities. The Company has also continued to see success with its work in agriculture, particularly with a flagship program on nitrogen fixation where it is working with a partner.”

For now, the company is in what you might call a major retreat from the days when the buzz and promise of Zymergen revolved around of enhanced performance in materials. Now, the company is more squarely aimed in the short-term toward the insurance-protected world of pharma, and a slice of agriculture where a Zymergen product can compete on an avoided-cost and avoided-emission basis, such as nitrogen fixation.   READ MORE