Sonichem secures £1.2m pre-Series A funding from ACF Investors to advance biorefinery plans
The East Midlands clean tech startup raised the capital from ACF Investors to develop its sawdust-to-biochemicals plant.
Sonichem develops proprietary ultrasound technology to convert low-value sawmill by-products into high-grade renewable biochemicals.
UK-based green technology company Sonichem has secured £1.2m in pre-Series A funding from returning backer ACF Investors. The company will direct the capital towards advancing its proprietary ultrasound technology, bolstering research and intellectual property generation, and finalising plans for a commercial biorefinery plant in Northern England.
Founded in 2007, the East Midlands enterprise uses a patented combination of chemistry and ultrasound to break down low-value woody biomass, such as sawmill sawdust, into natural sugars, cellulose, and lignin. These renewable fractions serve as sustainable replacements for petroleum-derived chemicals across the materials, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical sectors.
Managing partner Tim Mills noted the rapidly expanding market for sustainable biochemicals as a primary driver for the investment. Sonichem is currently scaling its commercial operations in anticipation of a future Series A round to support the construction of its flagship biorefinery facility.
From the founder
"The founding sugar scientist, now retired, was inspired by seeing how waste from sugar cane processing was under-valued and often burned. He wanted to extract environmental and economic benefits from such woody biomass waste. Early active shareholders then evolved the concept into our current focus on the sawdust produced from timber operations, giving us a high volume feedstock available in the UK."
Adrian Black
CEO at Sonichem
Investor perspective
"The market for sustainable bio-based chemicals has evolved rapidly in the last few years and is forecast to grow to $26.7 billion by 2028."
Tim Mills
Managing Partner, ACF Investors
Use of funds
- 01Continue product development
- 02Fund research and development
- 03Build out infrastructure
