AmphiStar: €12.5m EIC Funding to Advance Commercialisation of Bio-Based Surfactants

AmphiStar, a Belgian developer of biosurfactants, has secured €12.5m in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC) following its latest evaluation round. The company is among 40 beneficiaries selected from nearly 1,000 applications across Europe, each recognised for developing transformative technologies with significant commercial promise. The funding package comprises a €2.5 million grant and a €10 million equity investment. It will support AmphiStar’s efforts to scale production of its microbial biosurfactants, which are derived from bio-based waste streams, and bring them to market more rapidly. A biosurfactant is a surface-active substance produced by microorganisms, typically through fermentation processes, that reduces surface and interfacial tension. Biosurfactants are often biodegradable, derived from renewable resources, and serve as environmentally friendly alternatives to synthetic surfactants in applications such as cleaning, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and environmental remediation.

This latest milestone adds to over €12 million previously raised through CBE-JU projects (Waste2Func, SurfsUP), regional support (VLAIO), early-stage innovation funding (SPRIN-D, Biotope), and a pre-Series A round completed in 2024 with backing from ECBF, Qbic, and PMV. AmphiStar’s synthetic biology platform facilitates the design of tailored biosurfactant molecules, aligning product performance with industry-specific requirements. Its process upcycles bio-based waste, avoiding the use of virgin resources such as palm oil or sugar, whose cultivation is often linked to deforestation and high environmental costs.

CEO Pierre-Franck Valentin comented: “This investment confirms the EIC’s belief in our capacity to drive a fundamental shift in the surfactants industry. As demand grows for safer and more sustainable chemical ingredients, our bio-based solutions provide a viable, high-performance alternative to conventional synthetic surfactants.” A recent Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) supports these claims: AmphiStar’s biosurfactants demonstrate a fourfold lower global warming potential compared to non-upcycled sophorolipids, sixfold compared to synthetic Sodium Laureth Sulfate, and nearly tenfold compared to Amine Oxides. They also require significantly less water and land, and show marked improvements across key sustainability indicators, including human health and ecosystem impact.

In 2024, AmphiStar introduced its first commercial biosurfactant products and has since developed a growing library of more than 80 biosurfactant molecules. It has also signed a strategic partnership with Kensing, a U.S.-based surfactant manufacturer, to enter the North American market, and is finalising further collaborations within Europe. Additional announcements are expected in the near future, the company states. Sophie Roelants, COO of AmphiStar, stated additionally: “This funding enables us to accelerate the commercialisation of our biosurfactants. We are now in a position to scale existing products like AmphiCare™ and AmphiClean™, launch the first new molecule from our biosurfactant platform, and expand beyond personal and home care into other application areas.”