TLDR:
– Suzano Ventures invests up to $5 million in Canadian startup, Bioform Technologies.
– Bioform Technologies offers sustainable, bio-based alternatives to single-use plastics using wood pulp.
In a strategic move, Suzano Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Suzano, the world’s largest market pulp producer, has invested up to $5 million in Bioform Technologies, a Canadian startup known for its innovative materials developed at the University of British Columbia. These materials provide sustainable, bio-based alternatives to single-use plastics and can be manufactured through modified industrial processes used in the pulp and paper sector. Bioform’s technology creates wood pulp-reinforced hydrogels to produce high-performance plastic alternatives, which can be made using Suzano’s wood pulp fiber as a key input. The materials are home compostable or recyclable through existing paper recycling processes and do not require fossil-based inputs. With the potential to offer an 80% lower carbon footprint than conventional single-use plastics, Bioform’s technology has enhanced product performance in areas such as tensile strength and permeability for oxygen or water vapor. The investment from Suzano Ventures will enable Bioform to pilot its manufacturing process and expand its team and capabilities, moving towards a greener future in the materials industry.
