Holiferm
EMEA
Birkenhead
,
United Kingdom
Scaleup
FOUNDED
2018
HEADCOUNT
21-100
FUNDING
Series B
Keywords:
yeast, fermentation, continuous_bioprocessing, biosurfactants, cosmetics
BUSINESS
Holiferm is a University of Manchester spin-out founded in 2018, based in Manchester and Wallasey, Northwest England. Manufactures biosurfactants (sophorolipids and glycolipids) via fermentation as alternatives to petrochemical surfactants. The company operates a 1,600 tonnes/year (1.6 KTA) commercial biosurfactant manufacturing plant in Wallasey and an R&D facility in Manchester. Products (HoliSurf, HoneySurf, AgriSurf) are now distributed in the US and Spain, targeting personal care, home care, cosmetics, and agriculture
BIOTECH INVOLVEMENT
Core industrial biotechnology; patented fermentation processes drive production of sustainable ingredients for multiple markets. Holiferm produces sophorolipid biosurfactants via fermentation of a naturally occurring yeast (Starmerella bombicola, originally isolated from a Canadian honey bee hive) using vegetable oil and glucose as feedstocks. The core IP is a patented continuous fermentation process with integrated gravity separation that enables in-situ product removal during fermentation, dramatically improving productivity and cost-competitiveness versus conventional batch processes. The company does not use genetically modified organisms. Pipeline expansion includes MELs (mannosylerythritol lipids) and rhamnolipids, developed in collaboration with BASF. Recent innovation includes second-generation sophorolipids produced from free fatty acid distillate (rapeseed oil refining sidestream), achieving scope 3 cradle-to-gate carbon negativity
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
fermentation; biosurfactant production
PRIMARY PRODUCTS
Sophorolipids (HoliSurf); MELs; glycolipids