Freiberg, Germany – July 2025
German chemical startup CYNiO has raised more than €2 million in fresh funding to bring its phosgene-free isocyanate technology to market and expand its specialty chemical offerings. The investment, led by bmp Ventures (via the IBG Innovation Fund) and TGFS Technologiegründerfonds Sachsen, marks a significant step forward for the young company as it targets safer, more flexible production of rare chemical building blocks.
Launched earlier this year as a spin-off from TU Bergakademie Freiberg, CYNiO focuses on developing CO₂-based isocyanates – crucial compounds used in pharmaceuticals, adhesives, coatings, and high-performance foams. Traditional production methods rely heavily on toxic and rigid processes. CYNiO’s solution? A modular, demand-driven process that produces these compounds safely and in small batches — entirely without phosgene.
“Our technology enables access to rare isocyanates – safely, economically, and on demand,” said CEO Michéle Tille.
CPO Marlene Baumhardt added, “This funding brings us closer to enabling a new wave of innovation in chemical end-products.”
The startup’s founding team — Michéle Tille (CEO), Marlene Baumhardt (CPO), and Sophie Riedel (COO) — developed the technology as part of the SAXEED entrepreneurship initiative in Saxony. Their work addresses a critical gap in the specialty chemicals value chain, enabling domestic, low-volume production of compounds that are otherwise expensive and difficult to source.
CYNiO plans to establish its first production facility in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park, a historic hub of Germany’s chemical industry. From there, the startup will serve the European market, offering a local alternative to complex and costly global imports. The company’s sales and marketing operations will be based in Leipzig.
“With CYNiO, another highly innovative company is joining the Bitterfeld-Wolfen ecosystem,” said Ywes Israel, Principal at bmp Ventures. “This strengthens Saxony-Anhalt as a chemical hub and supports the future of European manufacturing.”
Sören Schuster, Managing Director at TGFS, praised the startup’s trajectory: “CYNiO is a prime example of how top-tier university research can turn into market-ready deep tech. Their early entrepreneurial preparation through SAXEED laid the groundwork for a breakthrough in specialty chemicals.”
As demand grows for greener, more flexible manufacturing across Europe’s chemical supply chains, CYNiO is positioning itself as a key enabler of sustainable innovation — built on German research, backed by regional capital, and ready to scale.
