Led · Seed · Jun 2022

Sonichem develops ultrasonic processing technology to extract high-value renewable biochemicals from forestry by-products and woody biomass. The company targets applications across bio-based materials, sustainable cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. It is an early-stage clean-technology business led by CEO Adrian Black with a management team including Miranda Lindsay-Fynn, Dr Andrew West, and Omar Farooq. Sonichem recently completed the first phase of its Pre-Series A and raised £1.2M to further develop its technology. The funds will be used to advance the technology and finalise plans for a biorefinery plant. Management says the company plans to scale offerings, complete its Pre-Series A round, and raise a Series A to support development of a biorefinery in the north of the UK. Bio-Sep is a London-headquartered sustainable startup that converts low-value forestry co-products (sawdust/woodchips) into bio-sourced chemicals for use in bio-based materials, cosmetics, medication and dental products. The company is demonstrating its technology on an industrial-scale pilot plant and is developing plans to design and build a commercial biorefinery. Funding will support recruitment to operate the pilot and the design of the first scaled-up commercial plant. The planned commercial plant is intended for heavily forested Scotland and is expected to process 13,000 tonnes of wood a year, with construction set to begin in 2023. Bio-Sep was founded by Adrian Black and Miranda Lindsay-Fynn; Adrian Black serves as CEO. The startup positions its technology as contributing to the circular economy by turning a low-value forestry co-product into higher-value chemical inputs.