From tree to money faster and more efficiently than ever: Futurity to license MetGen’s award-winning METNIN™ technology for lignin valorization

Futurity, whose mission is to outperform oil with trees through the production of advanced chemicals and materials from plantation forestry in New Zealand has finalized a licensing agreement with the Finnish company MetGen Oy. Cooperation will allow the development of a full range of high value lignin-based products including resins and adhesives, foams, composites, bio-based chemicals and polymers to meet the growing needs of a fast changing world.

MetGen is a pioneer in lignocellulosic industrial enzymes and renewable chemicals. The license is for MetGen’s METNIN™ technology platform which facilitates the enzymatic break down of Futurity’s lignin into its fundamental component parts. “Lignin has vast potential to outperform and reduce our dependency on oil, historically the value and usefulness of lignin has been difficult to unlock through a commercially viable process at scale. MetGen’s METNIN™ technology has overcome this barrier and will allow us to create high quality, low cost products that unlock the true value of the lignin.  This helps us to generate value from the entire tree including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin which makes up around 25% of total mass” said Dr. Gaetano Dedual.

MetGen’s CEO Alex Michine said “Over the past years MetGen has accumulated extensive experience on applying enzymes in industrial bio refineries”. In this work, we have recognized how important it is to match the proper technologies throughout the value-chain. This is why we are excited about being the partner in Futurity project with our METNIN™ platform.  Every processing step and every fraction of the raw material counts when creating renewable –and affordable – chemicals and materials out of lignocellulosic biomass.”

For more information, please contact:

Alex Michine,
CEO, METGEN Oy
+358405433740
Skype: alexmichine
www.metgen.com

About MetGen Oy

MetGen designs and markets novel enzymatic solutions for the most challenging of industrial conditions to address our customer’s specific challenges. MetGen was founded in 2008 and is based in Kaarina, Finland. MetGen’s enzymes – METZYME® – are industrial, highly-active, natural catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions and company uses advances in genetic engineering and microbiology to adapt enzymes to harsh industrial conditions and to handle a variety of lignocellulosic substrates. MetGen aims to be a widely recognized supplier of industrial enzymes, significantly contributing to the economics and sustainability of process industries such as biofuels and renewable chemicals. MetGen’s competitive advantage is in tailoring or adapting enzymes to meet customer’s specific needs.

About Futurity Ltd.

Futurity is a New Zealand based bio-venture which uses responsibly managed plantation forestry to produce renewable materials; Nano-fibrillated cellulose, PHBV and advanced lignin’s. We produce high performing materials to reduce oil dependency. Our wood comes from rapidly renewing forestry plantations and provides a unique geographic opportunity for global supply. Using our novel integration of licenced technologies, we optimise the natural attributes of wood to produce price competitive materials. We are here to collaborate internationally with companies and investors to develop supply chains of better materials into better products and construct our first commercial bio refinery. Together, let’s outperform oil with trees.