Biosphere Launches UV Bioreactor to Transform Industrial Fermentation

Following $8.8m seed round, Biosphere aims to slash biomanufacturing’s capital costs by more than 50%

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Biosphere, a startup developing advanced bioproduction systems, has emerged from stealth today with their launch of a groundbreaking UV-sterilized bioreactor. This invention marks a pivotal moment for industrial biotech, unlocking a step-change reduction to the capital intensity that has constrained the industry for decades.

Alongside its launch, Biosphere has raised $8.8 million in Seed funding led by Lowercarbon Capital and VXI Capital, with participation from Founders Fund, GS Futures, Caffeinated Capital, and B37 Ventures. The company has also secured a $1.5 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to apply its technology toward the efficient production of critical bioproducts. This funding will accelerate Biosphere’s engineering and scale-up efforts, enabling rapid deployment of their reactors at scale.

The bioproduct industry still relies on complex, expensive steam-sterilized reactors, a technology originally developed in the 1940s for penicillin production. The steep upfront costs of legacy systems remain a significant barrier for innovators bringing new bioproducts to market. Biosphere’s proprietary UV-enabled design simplifies bioreactor hardware, eliminating the need for expensive and complex infrastructure and delivering 10x the production capacity with the same overall investment. By reducing the industry’s capital intensity, Biosphere will enable domestic manufacturing of products ranging from critical chemicals and cutting-edge therapeutics to biodegradable packaging and innovative food ingredients.

“Our UV bioreactor is not an incremental improvement; it’s a first-principles reimagining of biomanufacturing systems. We’re replacing eighty-year-old technology with a cost-effective, scalable platform designed for the future,” said Brian Heligman, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Biosphere. “UV bioreactors will be the foundation of biomanufacturing in the 21st century, giving bioproduct startups and industry leaders the tools they’ll need to scale their revenue 100x.”

“Biosphere’s tech delivers 10x more bang for your buck, revolutionizing biotech profitability from the ground up and unlocking the bioeconomy at scale,” said Kristin Ellis, Partner, Lowercarbon Capital.

Biosphere invites innovators, industry leaders, and visionaries to join us in creating a future where scalable, profitable biomanufacturing finally realizes its long-awaited potential.

About Biosphere
Founded in 2022 and based in Oakland, CA, Biosphere is at the forefront of revolutionizing modern bioreactor design. Backed by world-class investors including B37 Ventures, Caffeinated Capital, Founders Fund, GS Futures, Lowercarbon Capital and VXI Capital, Biosphere is redefining the intersection of advanced manufacturing and biotechnology. With a passionate team with expertise spanning everything from commercial-scale fermentation and robotic greenhouses to thin-film semiconductors and bioinformatics, Biosphere is bringing biomanufacturing into the 21st century.

Biosphere’s proprietary UV sterilization approach paves the way for a new generation of bioreactors that are simpler, more cost-effective, and high-performing. This advance will drastically reduce the risks associated with new product launches and drive down manufacturing costs, enabling more accessible and scalable biotechnology solutions.

To learn more about how Biosphere is enabling rapid scale-up for bioproducts, visit www.biosphere.io.

Media Contact:
Megan Nealon for Biosphere
megan@mnealoncomms.com
(516) 644-8127

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/19a626c2-1a21-477a-8668-f2c31cf17f63