Liberation Bioindustries has restructured its executive team, with co-founder Etan Bendheim stepping into the role of Chief Executive Officer, while fellow co-founder Mark Warner transitions to Chief Technology Officer. The change comes as the company approaches the operational launch of its first commercial-scale precision fermentation plant in Richmond, Indiana.
Technical focus takes priority
Warner, who previously served as CEO, will now focus on technical execution and infrastructure development. “This transition reflects where I can be most effective for the company. My focus has always been on designing and building facilities that can operate at commercial scale, and stepping into the CTO role allows me to dedicate all of my energy to getting Richmond up and running and laying the technical foundation for what comes next,” Warner stated.
The Richmond facility is designed with a capacity of 600,000 liters and includes a fully dedicated downstream process (DSP) line. It will produce a range of bio-based materials, including ingredients for food, chemicals, and other industrial sectors. According to the company, more than half of the facility’s production capacity is either under contract or in advanced negotiations.
First runs to include Vivici’s dairy protein
Among its initial production projects, Liberation Bioindustries will manufacture commercial volumes of Vivitein™ BLG, a dairy protein developed by Dutch startup Vivici. The company is also engaged in a partnership with Topian, the food subsidiary of NEOM in Saudi Arabia, to plan and design a new precision fermentation facility in the region. Planning for this second plant is currently underway.
Bendheim, who had previously served as Chief Business Officer, commented on the leadership shift: “Mark and I have always operated with a clear division of responsibilities, and formalizing that structure puts us in the best position for what comes next. As we move toward bringing our Richmond facility into operation, this allows us to stay focused on execution while continuing to build the company around the platform we’ve created.”
Liberation Bioindustries is positioning itself to serve both emerging and established players in the consumer packaged goods and industrial manufacturing sectors by offering precision fermentation capabilities at scale. The company’s facilities are designed to accommodate the production of a broad range of bio-based inputs.
Production at the Richmond plant is expected to begin in 2026.
