Founded as a spin-out from the University of Manchester, Holiferm is developing sustainable biosurfactants, eco-friendly, biodegradable and non-toxic surface-active agents produced by microorganisms such as yeast or bacteria from renewable resources, rather than petrochemicals. These next-generation surfactants are kinder to the planet, and just as effective, offering a more sustainable alternative for many sectors including home care, personal care, agriculture, and industrial cleaning.

At the heart of Holiferm’s technology is a patented gravity-separation fermentation process, enabling efficient, continuous production at commercial scale. Through ongoing support from Innovate UK, Holiferm has been able to scale this technology from early research to commercial production.

From research to the real world

Holiferm’s journey from academic research to commercial manufacturing has been supported by Innovate UK at several key stages, beginning with the Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research (ICURe) programme and continuing through multiple grants to scale its technology.

ICURe is where ideas meet the real world. It gives researchers the time and tools to explore the commercial potential of their technology through customer discovery and market validation.

“The ICURe programme gave us the time and space to really test the market,” explains co-founder Dr James Winterburn. “Holiferm co-founder, Dr Ben Dolman, travelled internationally to meet potential customers, partners and investors, which enabled us to validate our technology in different environments and start building a network of customers and funders.”

Accelerating scale-up

Holiferm continues to push the boundaries of biosurfactant production from new feedstocks and processes. Innovate UK funding has played a critical role in allowing them to explore this even further.

A continuity grant from Innovate UK signalled a landmark moment for Holiferm, allowing them to build a 600-litre pilot plant at Sci-Tech Daresbury. This was a huge leap from lab to plant and meant the team could test their manufacturing process at a larger scale – an essential step before commercial production.

“Innovate UK funding helped us de-risk the technology and go further, faster. It allowed us to scale our process sooner and reach key milestones much more quickly than we could have on our own,” says Dr Winterburn.

Further support from Innovate UK’s Transforming Foundation Industries (TFI) and collaborative Smart Grants have enabled Holiferm to continue improving processes and develop new biosurfactant technologies.

Most recently, Innovate UK funded the Holiferm-led HiProSoph project. Working with the University of Manchester and Star Brands Limited, HiProSoph focused on developing efficient production of sophorolipids – a biosurfactant – using waste-derived feedstocks. Following this project, the team has validated several alternative feedstocks at scale and is now in the process of implementing these. It’s a large part of Holiferm’s cost reduction strategy, which is being implemented as they continue to scale.

Supporting business growth

Today, Holiferm operates a large commercial manufacturing facility using large-scale 18m3 bioreactors and a team of around 60 people across three sites in Birkenhead, Daresbury and Manchester.

“Innovate UK funding has played a key role not only in technical development but also in helping the business grow. Any non-dilutive funding is hugely valuable,” says Dr Winterburn. “It helps you move further with the resources you have and makes it easier to attract private investment as you scale.”

Working alongside partners in both industry and academia has also led to several research publications, training opportunities and new data that supports the wider sustainable

The next phase

Holiferm is now starting on a major investment round to support its next phase of growth. This will focus on scaling technology and expanding its range of products.

In addition, ongoing research is exploring new microbial strains of yeast that can produce biosurfactants more efficiently, helping reduce production costs and increase output.

Innovate UK funding has been critical in helping Holiferm get to where we are today. By supporting innovation from early research through to commercial manufacturing, programmes like the Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network are helping companies accelerate the transition towards more sustainable chemicals.

– Dr James Winterburn, Co-founder, Holiferm