Big deal: Amphistar goes transatlantic

Under a new strategic partnership, North American producer of high-purity surfactants Kensing Solutions LLC will exclusively market Leuven-based AmphiStar BV’s 100% microbially upcycled biosurfactants to the personal care market and HI&I Industries (Household, Industrial & Institutional). AmphiStar will use local agri-food side streams to produce its sustainable biosurfactants.

Kensing will work with AmphiStar to develop regionally sourced circular feedstocks from biobased waste and sidestreams, such as plant oils from Kensing’s production, with a near-term plan to fully onshore production in the US. This will not only reduce transport-related emissions but will also allow the partners to build a resilient, decentralised supply chain aligned with evolving customer expectations. The products offer performance for producers seeking to develop mild and sustainable formulations. They can be used as emulsifiers and co-surfactants in body lotions, creams, shampoos, body wash, make-up remover and other products.

Kensing and AmphiStar will also co-develop AmphiStar’s recently launched library of more than 80 ‘designer’ biosurfactant platform technology, with the shared goal of further developing and commercialising high-potential innovations in the personal care, agrochemical and HI&I markets. 

“Kensing’s scientific expertise in formulation and production of plant-based ingredients coupled with our novel biomanufacturing technology platform make this an ideal and complementary partnership that will not only help us bring our sustainable biosurfactants to the North American market, but also see us jointly develop and launch new ones in the future”, said Pierre-Franck Valentin, CEO of AmphiStar.

“By combining AmphiStar’s cutting-edge upcycled biosurfactant technology with Kensing’s industrial scale and market reach, we are unlocking a new era of high-performance biosurfactants—formulated from upcycled biowaste, free from conventional feedstock constraints, and offering both formulation versatility and the potential for highly competitive economics at scale,” said Serge Rogasik President and CEO of Kensing.

AmphiStar’s claims to use advanced synthetic biology, waste processing and continuous biomanufacturing principles to microbially produce its biosurfactants By eliminating reliance on fossil feedstocks and resource-intensive crops, AmphiStar’s technology delivers a significantly enhanced and novel sustainability profile. A  LCA study from March 2025 reveals the sustainability profile of AmphiStar’s products compared to both conventional chemical-based and existing biosurfactants, including a four-fold reduction in CO₂ equivalent emissions, an 18-fold reduction in water deprivation, a 5.5-fold lower impact on human health and a 15-fold lower overall environmental impact. 

European Biotechnology has asked the companies to comment on financial details of their deal.