Founded in 2019 by Dr Prateek Mahalwar and Srinivas Karuturi, BIOWEG uses precision fermentation to transform food-industry waste into high-purity bacterial cellulose and related bio-based acids. These ingredients power product lines such as Micbeads (micro-powders), RheoWeg (rheology modifiers) and AgriWeg (seed and fertiliser coatings) that replace microplastics and fossil-derived polymers in personal care, home care and agriculture. The same fermentation platform is now being extended, together with TU Berlin, to create a low-energy, solvent-free, water-based method for selectively recovering rare earth elements from complex waste streams. BIOWEG operates a demonstration site in Quakenbrück, Germany, and an applications lab on Bayer Crop Science’s campus in Monheim. The company’s process integrates in-house-produced bio-acids for bioleaching with TU Berlin’s peptide-based separation columns, aiming to deliver a circular solution for Europe’s growing REE demand. Its approach targets lower CO₂ footprints, reduced toxic waste and improved economic viability compared with conventional, high-energy REE recovery. The latest €1.5 million funding strengthens BIOWEG’s balance sheet and accelerates scale-up of the REE platform alongside its existing commercial ingredient lines.

Total raised

$21M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Dec 2025