Renmatix: Biofuels Digest’s 5-Minute Guide

November 6, 2012 |

Company description:

Renmatix is the leading manufacturer of bio-based sugar intermediates, an alternative to petroleum derivates used in the global chemical and fuels markets. The company’s proprietary Plantrose™ process challenges conventional sugar economics by cheaply converting cellulosic biomass – from wood waste to agricultural residue – into useful, cost-effective sugars. Renmatix’s supercritical hydrolysis technology deconstructs non-food biomass an order of magnitude faster than other processes and enhances its cost advantage by using no significant consumables. Renmatix is privately held, with operations in Georgia (USA) currently capable of converting three dry tons of cellulosic biomass to Plantro™ sugar per day, and a world-class technical center in Pennsylvania (USA).

Address:

660 Allendale Road, Kind of Prussia, PA 19406

Year Founded:

2007

Major Investors
Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
BASF (BAS:Xetra)
Waste Management (WM: NYSE)

3 Top Milestones for 2010‐12
• Raised $75M in Series C from strategic investors BASF and Waste Management as well as new and existing venture investors
• Entered formal JDA with Waste Management to explore post-consumer urban waste as a feedstock for the Plantrose process; initiated revenues
• Opened new world class R&D facility and relocated headquarters in King of Prussia, PA (full time staff grew 152% since January 2011)

3 Major Milestone Goals for 2013‐15
• Open commercial-scale operations for large-scale production of cellulosic sugars
• License the Renmatix technology for application in new markets globally
• Expand feedstock portfolio for PlantroseTM process beyond initial materials

Business Model:

Owner-operator; will license technology for some markets

Competitive Edge(s):

Renmatix produces the lowest-cost cellulosic sugars from a variety of feedstocks. Its Plantrose™ process uses water at elevated temperatures and pressures to break down biomass in seconds, rather than hours, and without any significant consumables. With low operating and capital costs, Renmatix will be competitive with corn and cane sugar at its first commercial facility.

Stage 

Current operating facilities include:
• Pilot – capacity of 100 kg dry biomass to sugar per day
• Demonstration – capacity of 3 dry tons of biomass to sugar per day
• Commercial – commence commercial scale production, in one or more selected locations, 2014-2015

Company website

Category: 5-Minute Guide

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