SusBioME wins VentureLaunch accelerator
SusBioME, an emerging greentech start-up, as the overall winner of the 2024 UCD VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme. The start-up is developing technology for use in the anaerobic digestion process to increase renewable gas yields from biomass.
Renewable gas from anaerobic digestion is key for energy security and sustainability. In the anaerobic digestion process organic feedstocks, including wastes, are digested and turned into biogas or biomethane, which can be used exactly like natural gas. However, a major bottleneck limiting renewable gas production is the low digestibility of feedstock used in the anaerobic digestion process which leads to unrealised gas yields and low operational efficiency.
To address this problem SusBioME, a start-up emerging from the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, is developing modular, plug-in disruptive electro-processing technologies to make feedstocks more biodigestible. As a platform technology it can be applied to a wide range of feedstocks and bioprocesses.
By the direct applications of electric fields, the SusBioME technology physically disrupts feedstocks, which rapidly and very efficiently make them more biodigestible leading to gas yield improvements of up to 30% for renewable gas producers along with reduced operational costs and increased revenues.
The members of the SusBioME team are, Dr Ajay Menon, who completed the VentureLaunch Accelerator Programme, Prof James Lyng, Norman Maloney and Bernie Fitzpatrick.
Dr Ajay Menon, UCD School of Agriculture & Food Science and a promoter of SusBioME said: “We are delighted to have been named the overall winner of the 2024 UCD VentureLaunch accelerator programme.
“Everyone knows why renewable energy is important, but few know how much of it is sourced from biomass. Last year, 59% of the EU’s renewable energy came from biomass-based bioenergy, more than wind, solar and hydro combined. Renewable gas, made using anaerobic digestion, is the most promising and important kind of bioenergy and is a huge and growing industry. However, a major bottleneck in the process is that the feedstock cannot be digested very well leading to unrealised gas yields. The SusBioME technology which we have successfully trialled addresses this issue and results in gas yield improvements of up to 30%, an important development for the sector.”
He added, “Currently we are half-way through our Enterprise Ireland Commercialistion Fund project, and we already have three trial partners secured for pilot demonstrations. In 2025 we intend to spin-out of UCD, raise some €500k in pre-seed funding and commercially launch SusBioME.”
In addition to the 2024 UCD VentureLaunch award SusBioME received a prize package worth €30,000, which includes a €10,000 cash prize sponsored by NovaUCD founding sponsors, (AIB, AMD, Arthur Cox, Deloitte, Ericsson and Goodbody), a professional service package sponsored by Bryan Maguire Financial Services and incubation space at NovaUCD.
The other participants on this year’s VentureLaunch Accelerator programme in addition to SusBioME were; GalMAX Biotech, Maternitec, Mirror Security, Neuropause Medical, Real World Data, and WeiSyn.
SusBioME, Neuropause Medical and WeiSyn are currently being supported through the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund.
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