Symbiobe

Symbiobe, a Kyoto University-born venture established in January 2021, is commercializing a biotechnology platform to convert air into resources. The company was founded by CEO Koji Ito and CSO Keiji Numata. Ito comes from a consulting background, with no initial connection to the biotechnology industry. His involvement in a Cabinet Office research program led him to meet Numata, a professor at Kyoto University who had been researching the production of useful substances like biopolymers using microorganisms. Convinced of the technology's potential for a sustainable society, Ito decided to lead the business development of Symbiobe.

The core of Symbiobe's operation is its proprietary technology that utilizes marine purple photosynthetic bacteria. These microorganisms uniquely perform both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide and nitrogen to grow and multiply. This process allows the company to create a circular production system, turning greenhouse gases into valuable materials. The business model targets any entity that continuously emits CO2. Symbiobe designs and constructs cultivation plants tailored to the client's emission scale and form, then supplies the marine bacteria for cultivation. The CO2 from the client is fed into this system, and Symbiobe harvests the resulting biomass, which has captured the carbon.

From this biomass, Symbiobe is developing a portfolio of products. These include "Air Fertilizer®," an organic nitrogen fertilizer for agriculture; "Air Feed®," a zero-carbon aquaculture feed rich in protein and amino acids; and "Air Silk®," a biodegradable synthetic silk fiber. This approach addresses multiple markets, including environmental services, agriculture, aquaculture, and textiles. The company is currently in the process of scaling up its technology, having successfully operated a 4,000L demonstration plant since December 2023. Following a Series A funding round of 800 million yen in September 2024, which brought its total funding to approximately 1.07 billion yen, Symbiobe is building a new verification facility in Yamaguchi Prefecture to advance towards mass production and commercialization.

Keywords: carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, biotechnology, microbial products, greenhouse gas reduction, circular economy, sustainable materials, aquaculture feed, organic fertilizer, biopolymers, photosynthetic bacteria, Kyoto University startup, climate tech, resource recycling, bio-manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, marine biotechnology, carbon capture and utilization, Air Silk, Air Feed