Genecis Bioindustries raises $7M in Series A funding for waste-based bioplastic

In Canada, Genecis Bioindustries Inc. announced that it has raised $7 million in Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures and BDC Capital’s Cleantech Practice. The round includes participation from Gullspang Re:food, with returning investors such as AME Cloud Ventures, IT Farm, and Heinz Group. Genecis has also secured a $3 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank, subject to customary closing conditions. 

Genecis is a biotechnology company making compostable plastics from waste materials. PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) are recognized as the only biodegradable polymers that can mimic the useful functional properties of petroleum plastics. Genecis’ unique approach to biomanufacturing PHAs with alternative feedstocks is low-cost, widely applicable, and rapidly scalable. Their recombinant bacteria platform converts zero-cost food waste into tunable PHAs, and piggy-backs onto the existing infrastructure of biogas plants. Genecis is a graduate of the Y Combinator incubator program in Silicon Valley, and has won multiple international awards, including 1st place in the 2020 Extreme Tech Challenge.

The investment is expected to accelerate the launch of Genecis’ 1st set of products onto the market with their partners, while completing the 1st integration of their technology with the StormFisher biogas plant in London, Canada. Together these milestones will allow Genecis to secure key market vantage points in the sustainable materials market.