CE&C spin-out Vertoro receives multi-million boost
Vertoro, a spin-out from research at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, has raised 鈧�17 million in a Series B funding round. With this funding, the company can further scale up its technology: converting plant-based residual streams into renewable oil for the production of fuels and chemicals.
Vertoro originated from research by PhD candidate Panos Kouris (co-founder of Vertoro) within the research group of Emiel Hensen (full professor and scientific advisor of Vertoro) and Michael Boot (黑料福利网 research fellow and co-founder of Vertoro). The company already operates a demonstration plant at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus in Geleen to test the technology at a larger scale. The multi-million investment will be used for the next steps towards future large-scale production facilities.
Vertoro鈥檚 goal? Converting plant-based waste into renewable oil鈥攎arketed under the brand name Goldilocks鈥攚hich can be used as a feedstock for chemicals, materials, and fuels. During this process, cellulose is generated as a by-product, which can in turn be used for paper, ethanol, and other biobased products.
A new life for residual streams
The technology offers a relatively simple route to valorise residual streams from the agricultural and forestry sectors. Vertoro sees applications in the chemical industry as well as in other sectors. For example, in materials and industrial products such as thermoplastics, drop-in fuels for shipping, and upgrading renewable oil into sustainable aviation fuel. The renewable oil can therefore be used across multiple industries and contribute to emissions reduction in those sectors.
Additionally, the technology can contribute to energy security by converting local agricultural and forestry residues into renewable oil. This can help countries reduce their dependence on imported fossil resources and build a more resilient domestic energy supply.