Pili
EMEA
Toulouse
,
France
Scaleup
FOUNDED
2015
HEADCOUNT
21-100
FUNDING
Series A
Keywords:
bacteria, fermentation, metabolic_engineering, colorants
BUSINESS
PILI, founded in 2015 and based in Toulouse/Paris, France (with operations at the Roches-Roussillon industrial platform in Isère), produces bio-based dyes and pigments using a hybrid process combining industrial fermentation and green chemistry for textile, ink, paint, and polymer applications. Industrial pilot operational since 2022 with ton-scale production of bio-based indigo.
BIOTECH INVOLVEMENT
Core industrial biotechnology using bacterial fermentation for color production. Engineered microorganisms ferment renewable feedstocks (molasses, starch-based sugars) to produce a high-purity biobased aromatic intermediate, which is then converted via green organic chemistry into specific dyes and pigments.
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
industrial fermentation; biofabrication
PRIMARY PRODUCTS
Bio-based dyes and pigments (e.g. eco-indigo for denim)