Octarine Bio Raises $4.6M to Scale Bio-Based Dyes

Angela Velasquez
·2 min read

Octarine Bio raised 4.35 million euros ($4.6 million) in an oversubscribed funding round that help the Danish synthetic biology firm scale its flagship products. It’s now raised more than 12 million euros ($13 million) to date.

The round was led by Óskare Capital, Unconventional Ventures, and The Footprint Firm, with participation from dsm-firmenich Venturing.

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The Copenhagen-based company’s microbially fermented colors offer sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based synthetic dyes, which are produced at extremely high temperatures and release toxic chemicals into the environment, said Octarine.

By focusing on violacein, a naturally occurring type of pigment, and its derivatives, Octarine employs a “first-in-industry precision fermentation process” to develop vibrant and sustainable natural dyes called OB-CLR. Unlike traditional nature-based colors known for their dull, earthy hues, OB-CLR’s color spectrum allows for vibrant purples, blues, pinks and greens.

Additionally, Octarine’s OB-CLR colors can be seamlessly integrated into a company’s existing supply chain. Since the colors bind directly to textiles without the use of mordants or other chemical additives, it results in significantly less water and energy use, and removes toxic chemicals from the dyeing equation.

This funding round will help Octarine to scale and optimize its color solution in preparation for commercialization.

Thea Messel, founder and general partner at Unconventional Ventures, said Octarine’s technology champions sustainable practices and steers brands away from harmful synthetic dyes. “The textile industry must switch to a more aggressive decarbonization trajectory in order to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and, ultimately, climate change,” she said.

“At Octarine, we are driven by a more sustainable future where pressing environmental and social challenges are met with innovative, game-changing, and sustainable solutions,” said Nethaji Gallage, Octarine CEO and co-founder. “Octarine’s strong synthetic biology platform has allowed us to quickly iterate from one ingredient to the next validating our platform capabilities, and today we collaborate with global industry leaders on the path to commercialization of our flagship products.”

Earlier this year, Octarine Bio announced a multi-stage partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, a “horizontal platform for cell programming,” aimed at using microbial fermentation to engineer a pigment with “potent bioactive” properties.

Bio-based pigments are brimming with opportunity. In March, French bio-tech company Pili secured $15.8 million in Series A funding to help it produce the first tons of high-performance bio-based indigo.

In October, AGI Denim introduced fabrics dyed with products from Huue, the California startup using microbial processes to create bio-based indigo. Huue secured $14.6 million in Series A funding last year.

Meanwhile, BioBlack TX by Nature Coatings, a 100 percent bio-based, certified and carbon negative black pigment that can replace petroleum-based carbon black, is gaining traction. The pigment is being used by Artistic Milliners and Orta and was featured in a recent Levi’s collection.