BIOWEG, an industrial biotech company based in Elsdorf, Germany, has brought its Series A financing to a total of €30 million, following a €2 million extension from Rabobank Ventures and €10.3 million in EU funding through the Produktives.NRW grant competition under the EFRE/JTF Program NRW 2021–2027.
The Round
The financing includes participation from Rabobank Ventures and the EU. It marks the second Series A round for the company: a €16 million Series A closed in September 2025, followed by this €30 million extension in September 2026, bringing BIOWEG’s total funding raised across both rounds to €46 million.
The Technology
BIOWEG develops high-performance biodegradable ingredients designed to replace acrylic polymer-based microplastics, aiming to give industries a drop-in alternative to the synthetic polymers currently used across a range of consumer and industrial products.
What the Funding Will Build
The new capital will support plans to build what BIOWEG describes as Europe’s largest bacterial cellulose production plant, located in Elsdorf. The project is intended to expand industrial biotechnology capacity in the region and strengthen local value chains.
Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with first commercial volumes expected in 2028. Once operational, the plant is planned to produce up to 10,000 tonnes of bacterial cellulose annually, using molasses and other food and agriculture industry side streams as fermentation feedstocks — turning industrial byproducts into a scalable biodegradable material supply.
Use of Funds
BIOWEG plans to use the capital to:
- Build Europe’s largest bacterial cellulose production plant in Elsdorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
- Expand Europe’s industrial biotechnology capacity
- Strengthen regional value chains
