Raizen
Americas
Sao Paulo
,
Brazil
Multinational
FOUNDED
1933
HEADCOUNT
10000+
FUNDING
Public
Keywords:
fermentation, biofuels, SAF, yeast, lignocellulose, waste_valorization
BUSINESS
Founded in 2011 as a joint venture between Brazil's Cosan and Shell and headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil (publicly listed on B3 since 2021, ticker RAIZ4), Raízen is the world's largest sugarcane processor and the second-largest fuel distributor in Brazil and Argentina, with reported net revenue of R$255.3 billion in the 2024/2025 harvest year. Operations span sugar production (5 million tons), first-generation and second-generation ethanol (3 billion liters total), bioenergy (1.9 GWh of renewable electricity), biomethane, and fuel distribution through more than 7,000 Shell-branded service stations.
BIOTECH INVOLVEMENT
Operations include first-generation sugarcane ethanol fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae across dozens of bioenergy parks at the largest operating scale globally, plus second-generation cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse and straw using proprietary pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation technology developed over more than 15 years and €100 million of internal investment. Raízen is the only company globally producing cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale. The company also produces biomethane from vinasse and organic residues through the Raízen Geo Biogás joint venture, and has signed a 2024 JDA with Vertoro to upgrade E2G lignin into bio-chemicals, materials, and SAF feedstock.
TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
fermentation; biorefining
PRIMARY PRODUCTS
Ethanol; sugar; fuels and services