Ghent-based biotech startup AmphiStar, which converts waste into sustainable biosurfactants for sectors like personal and home care, has secured €12.5 million in funding, including a €2.5 million grant and a €10 million equity investment.
- Founded in 2021 by Sophie Roelants, Bernd Everaert, Karolien Maes, and Sofie De Maeseneire, AmphiStar develops sustainable microbial biosurfactants from waste as eco-friendly alternatives to fossil and palm oil-based products.
- The startup uses biotechnology to convert bio-based waste into high-performance biosurfactants for personal care, home care, and industrial uses. Its platform employs the yeast Starmerella bombicola to produce more than 25 different glycolipid biosurfactants, demonstrated at a 15 m³ scale using local renewable raw materials, resulting in high-purity products suitable for various applications.
- The latest funding follows €12 million previously raised through CBE-JU projects (Waste2Func, SurfsUP), regional grants from VLAIO, early support from the German SPRIN-D and Ghent-based Biotope, and a pre-series A funding round closed in 2024 involving three venture capital funds: ECBF, Qbic, and PMV.
Details of the deal
- The investment was supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC), a major deep tech investor in Europe that provides €6 billion in funding for startups, research, and technology transfer.
- AmphiStar will use the €12.5 million to scale up production, launch new biosurfactants, expand its product range, improve sustainable fermentation processes, and support international growth.
