UA Startup Bubbles Up from Research to Patent to Market
Tucson, Ariz. – UA startup company GlycoSurf(link is external) has finalized an exclusive license agreement for a novel chemical synthesis of glycolipids technology, which was created at the University of Arizona. Prominent UA researchers Jeanne E. Pemberton(link is external) and Robin Polt, both with the UA College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, along with Raina M. Maier of the UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Soil, Water and Evironmental Science, and UA researcher Cliff Coss(link is external), originally developed the technology through the course of their research, and it is now poised to enter the marketplace.
The invention is a platform technology for the unique chemical synthesis of families of environmentally-friendly surfactants – also known as biosurfactants – which are non-toxic and biodegradeable surfactants used as “green” replacements for petroleum-based alternatives. Surfactants act to lower the surface tension of liquids. Biosurfactants are used in numerous industries including cosmetics and personal care products, as well as in environmental applications such as cleaning up oil spills or enhanced oil recovery.
In addition to signing the exclusive license for the technology, GlycoSurf has hired Chett Boxley(link is external), Ph.D., MBA, as its CEO to lead the company forward.
“Initially, we’re going to focus on the cosmeceutical space,” Boxley says. “That includes products like anti-aging creams and sunscreens.”
Biosurfactants produced today are generally labor-intensive, very expensive, and low in purity, according to the GlycoSurf team.
“We produce sugar-based bio-inspired surfactants, such as rhamnolipids, which are more than 95 percent pure (often 99% pure), yet our process is significanlty more cost-effective and scalable for large production volumes than current methods,” he says.
Through the process of commercializing their technology, before hiring Boxley, the GlycoSurf team took full advantage of all the services offered by Tech Launch Arizona (TLA), the University of Arizona’s office dedicated to creating social and economic impact by bringing the inventions of the UA from the laboratory to the market.
Initially in 2013, they worked with TLA’s technology transfer team on the disclosure and patenting of their invention. From there, the team worked with TLA on developing their product strategy, using proof-of-concept funding to prepare their early-stage technology for market. Most recently, TLA has also provided business intelligence to help further hone the company’s strategy.
Finally, GlycoSurf needed a lab for its 7-foot reactor to test and prove its manufacturing process. For that, the team brought their operations to the UA Tech Park, operated by Tech Parks Arizona, also a unit of TLA. There, they set up a space where they were not only able to use the UA Tech Park’s customized laboratory space to develop their manufacturing process, but also take advantage of services at Arizona Center for Innovation(link is external), an incubator located at the UA Tech Park, to help develop their business strategy even further. The company has since graduated from the incubator program.
Pemberton’s enthusiasm for the venture and for TLA is palpable: “Given the worldwide push for greener alternatives for the broad surfactant market, we are truly excited by the commerical potential of our platform technology for producing glycolipid surfactants. Although it probably goes without saying, TLA has been instrumental in helping us move this technology forward toward commercialization. They’re a tremendous resource for the UA. We wouldn’t be as far along as we are if it hadn’t been for their help.”
“GlycoSurf is a compelling new company with a strong team that will be commercializing an exciting technology,” says David Allen, Vice President of Tech Launch Arizona. “It has been a wonderful experience for TLA people and resources to work with this team and it is a shining example of value TLA provides to technologies created by UA’s outstanding researchers.”
In 2008, the world produced 13 million tons of surfactants. A recent research study indicates that by 2018, the global market is expected to generate revenues of more than $41 billion, then continue to grow by 4.5 percent each year. Biosurfactants represent a huge growth opportunity within the larger surfactants market, and GlycoSurf is poised to capitalize on this opportunity with the help of the UA and TLA.
About GlycoSurf, LLC
GlycoSurf, LLC(link is external), founded in 2013 based on technology licensed from the University of Arizona, is a specialty chemical company that focuses on the manufacture of novel, environmentally-friendly, bioinspired glycolipid surfactants. GlycoSurf, LLC manufactures a wide variety of glycolipids, which can be used as replacements for more costly biosynthesized analogues or for more toxic or environmentally persistent synthetic surfactants. GlycoSurf, LLC is based in Tucson, AZ.