Unlock new markets for your
ethanol production.
Leverage your ethanol production for next-gen biomanufacturing — tap into fast-growing markets and strategic supply chain initiatives for sustainable chemicals.
Ethanol:
The untapped feedstock for biomanufacturing
We’ve spent countless hours talking to ethanol producers, and one thing is clear: the industry is at a turning point. As demand for fuel-grade ethanol declines due to the shift toward electric vehicles, producers are facing underutilized assets and searching for new, high-margin opportunities.
At the same time, global markets are accelerating their push for sustainable, biobased alternatives—especially in sectors like paints, coatings, adhesives, and advanced materials.
This shift creates an opportunity: ethanol producers can pivot their existing infrastructure toward biomanufacturing, a field experiencing exponential growth.
Consumers & supply chains are moving toward sustainability
55% of consumers will pay more for eco-friendly brands. (Source BusinessDIT)
92% of customers trust environmentally conscious companies. (Source BusinessDIT)
Sustainable markets are growing 2.7x faster than their non-sustainable counterparts. (Source: theroundup.org)
Demand for bio-based chemicals is soaring
Acrylic Acid: Essential for paints, coatings, adhesives, and personal care products.
Acrylonitrile: A key precursor for carbon fiber, used in automotive, aerospace, and high-performance materials.
Domestic supply chains need reliable biobased feedstocks
Paints and coatings manufacturers worry about supply dominance by large petrochemical players.
Cosmetics and personal care brands are actively seeking sustainable, biobased solutions.
Ethanol is the perfect foundation for the next generation of biomanufacturing.
Cost-competitive with petroleum-based feedstocks.
As the world shifts toward biobased materials, ethanol offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional petrochemicals.
Lower cost than refined sugars used in precision fermentation.
Many biomanufacturing processes rely on purified sugar as a carbon source, but ethanol provides a more affordable option.
Energy-dense liquid that integrates seamlessly into existing infrastructure.
Unlike solid biomass or expensive purified sugars, ethanol is easy to store, transport, and process.
Potential to add value to lower-concentration ethanol.
Bioprocesses can use hydrous ethanol (rather than requiring costly purification), unlocking even greater efficiencies.
How we use ethanol to make new materials
We combine biology and chemistry to create drop-in replacement chemicals from ethanol.
By pivoting toward biomanufacturing, ethanol producers can tap into high-growth, higher-margin opportunities, securing a strategic advantage in the future of sustainable chemicals.
Why iMicrobes?
Your biomanufacturing partner.
Partnering with iMicrobes ensures that ethanol producers stay ahead of shifting market trends while unlocking new revenue streams.
First mover advantage
iMicrobes has a decade of experience in developing and scaling biochemicals, with a highly specialized team skilled in engineering, fermentation, and process optimization.
Ethanol-derived chemicals offer cost-effective, drop-in solutions that seamlessly integrate into existing chemical manufacturing processes for easy, global market adoption
22
Patents
Strong IP & patent protection of our proprietary ethanol-to-chemicals pathway.
Supported by the Dept. of Energy, BioMADE, and VC partners, with $10M in funding as of 2024 to accelerate commercialization.
Key milestones
Scaling up for commercial success
iMicrobes has achieved major milestones in scaling ethanol-based biomanufacturing, bringing us closer to full commercialization.
In August 2024, we successfully produced 10 kg+ of polymer per run while scaling fermentation to 1,500L and refining purification processes.
This progress was bolstered by a DoD award to support our first commercial facility and a BioMADE grant to accelerate our second product, sustainable carbon fiber.
By November, our fermentations demonstrated excellent alignment between bench-scale and pilot-scale results, yielding another 10 kg+ of polymer with improved process parameters.
In January 2025, we achieved kg-scale polymer purification, allowing us to begin sharing samples with partners and setting the stage for acrylic acid conversion in Q1 and Q2.
With a 60% cost reduction since early 2024, iMicrobes is rapidly advancing toward cost-competitive, scalable biomanufacturing solutions.
Potential Partnership models
Case
study
Build a technoeconomic model with us, in which we examine the costs/benefits of co-location with your ethanol production facility.
Joint development
Engage in hands-on, joint development projects that leverage our expertise and your market insights to bring products to market.
Provide samples
Provide iMicrobes ethanol samples from different stages of your facility for testing with our process.
The shift away from ethanol as a fuel presents both a challenge and an opportunity for producers.
While traditional markets are evolving, the demand for sustainable, biobased chemicals is accelerating.
iMicrobes offers a proven, cost-competitive pathway to transform ethanol into high-value products like acrylic acid and acrylonitrile, unlocking new revenue streams and strategic supply chain advantages.
Are you ready to capture this incredible opportunity?