HydRegen, an Oxford, U.K.-based biotechnology company, has raised $8 million in the first close of its Series A financing to expand its enzyme-based catalyst technology for pharmaceutical, specialty chemical and other industrial manufacturing applications.

The company is developing biocatalysts as alternatives to precious-metal catalysts used in hydrogenation, a reaction used to manufacture a range of chemicals. HydRegen produces a hydrogenase enzyme through fermentation and formulates it into proprietary catalyst platforms designed to perform hundreds of different hydrogenation reactions. 

HydRegen has demonstrated its biocatalysts in batch and continuous-flow hydrogenation equipment. In a collaboration with Almac Sciences, the company reported greater than 99.9% conversion during a kilo-lab-scale demonstration of an enzyme-based route to an alcohol from a carbonyl compound. The batch process operated at mild pressure and temperature, according to the companies. The demonstration represents a scale-up step, rather than evidence of sustained commercial production.

According to HydRegen, the technology can be introduced into existing manufacturing infrastructure, potentially avoiding major equipment changes. The company claims its approach can reduce manufacturing costs by up to 40% while lowering carbon emissions. Those performance and cost benefits are company-reported claims and will depend on the application and operating conditions.

The funding will help HydRegen move the technology into higher-volume markets and expand its applications in agrochemicals, materials and bulk chemical production. The company is targeting manufacturers that want to change catalyst chemistry without redesigning established production equipment. 

Why it Matters

Replacing precious-metal catalysts has been a research objective for years. Chemical Processing reported in 2012 on research into iron-based hydrogenation catalysts as lower-cost alternatives to precious metals, including work to improve catalyst stability and reduce environmental impacts (see: Better Hydrogenation Catalysts Beckon and Hydrogenation Gets Greener Catalyst).

For plant operators, catalyst selection involves more than the cost of the material. Activity, selectivity, stability, service life and operating conditions all affect process performance and economics. As Chemical Processing has reported, high-throughput experimentation can help qualify catalysts for commercial use (see: High-Throughput Experimentation Qualifies Commercial Catalyst).

HydRegen's technology presents another option for manufacturers to evaluate, but its broader industrial value will depend on demonstrating consistent performance, catalyst durability and economic benefits under relevant production conditions.