Pow.Bio, a company known for its biomanufacturing solutions, has announced the opening of a new 25,000 square foot facility in Alameda, California.
The plant has production facilities equipped with AI-enabled continuous fermentation capabilities that will allow Pow.Bio’s partners to achieve their target production costs. It serves as a model demonstrating the scalable deployment of the company’s fermentation platform, which is said to be capable of producing a range of bio-based products. According to Pow.Bio, the technology could be integrated into existing facilities around the world.
The new facility includes a fleet of dual-chamber continuous systems at various scales, along with expanded bench and pilot-scale capabilities allowing the transition from experimentation to the production of hundreds of kilograms of ingredients.
“Delivering meaningful gains”
Pow.Bio’s AI-enabled proprietary software allows for process development within weeks, with predictive control enabling autonomous fermentation, reduced variability, and increased manufacturing efficiency.
The new facility is also FDA-registered, featuring a cleanroom with pilot-scale fermentation and downstream processing for clients supplying the food and beverage industries.
“Today, many promising bio-products are challenged with high costs of production and prolonged development timelines that delay revenue generation,” said Shannon Hall, CEO of Pow.Bio. “The new Alameda facility is an active, working demonstration site for Pow.Bio’s modern, cost-effective manufacturing solution that is delivering meaningful gains for our partners right now.”
“Setting a new standard for the industry”
In 2023, Pow.Bio raised $9.5 million in Series A funding with the aim of addressing the challenges of fermentation capacity at scale. At the time, the company claimed its automated continuous fermentation platform could yield five times more productivity than traditional systems with only a fraction of the capital expense.
Last year, Pow.Bio partnered with bee-free honey producer MeliBio to escalate the production of high-value bee proteins and enzymes through precision fermentation.
“Our advanced demonstration facility is setting a new standard for the industry, allowing our partners to benefit from the impacts on cost and performance in weeks instead of months or years,” said Hall. “We’re thrilled that our AI-driven production platform is delivering results that bring the most exciting products to market faster.”
