Start up - Founded companies and start-up projects

Aachen Proteineers is a start-up company that focuses on high-quality, innovative and bio-based coating solutions. They use a versatile platform technology that was developed at the Chair of Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University in cooperation with the DWI. Their pioneering coating technology is based on material-binding peptides or anchor peptides, which are optimized for specific materials. The latter enable the functionalization of a wide range of materials, such as polymers, glass, steel or natural materials. The Aachen Proteineers team has set itself the goal of commercializing the technology for various applications on different materials such as synthetic and natural polymers, metals and ceramics.

SeSaM Biotech is a spin-off company that has set itself the task of carrying out directed enzyme evolution, also known as protein engineering, in order to accelerate "Darwinian evolution" in vitro. In this way, they aim to provide their customers with further developed enzymes and proteins with improved properties for industrial applications. The spin-off is based on the knowledge of biotechnologists.

Amovion has set itself the goal of closing the material cycles of salt and water by means of capacitive flow electrode deionization (FCDI). FCDI is an innovative electrochemical technology for ion-water separation. The technology will make it possible to recover not only fresh water, but also valuable salts such as chloride, nitrate and lithium. The recovered raw materials can then be recycled and reused.

naion.tech has developed a nanofiltration technology for the recovery of critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, which are indispensable for green and high-tech applications and are in high demand worldwide. Based on technologies developed by researchers at DWI and Aachen Process Engineering, naion.tech optimises existing recycling processes: Instead of adapting entire filtration systems to different water compositions, naion.tech improves membrane filters by calculating the ideal membrane properties and using a special coating process. This results in higher product quality and shorter project lead times. The membrane filters are then installed in modular filtration systems.

HAIRSENSE has developed a technology that can guarantee the authenticity and quality of high-quality textiles. This means that questions such as "Is my cashmere sweater really genuine?" can be clearly answered. HAIRSENSE thus offers consumers, brands and retailers the certainty that their products are authentic. This is particularly relevant for leading fashion labels and textile producers, as it makes it easier for them to meet their legal obligations regarding product control. HAIRSENSE's technology combines established analysis methods using microscopy technology with AI-supported evaluation. It therefore exceeds the accuracy and efficiency of traditional approaches. The technology is based on the results and developments of the IGF research project 21376 N "Artificial intelligence for automated, forgery-resistant determination of animal hair".

FORMeat is developing a pioneering technology for the production of meat: using advanced fiber spinning techniques from FORMeat, steaks are to be produced from animal stem cells, so that in future a more environmentally and animal-friendly alternative to conventional methods of factory farming and meat production can be offered. The specially developed spinning machines will process meat cultivated in the laboratory, which will be able to replicate the texture and structure of conventional types of meat. The scalable spinning technology ensures that cultured meat meets the highest quality and taste standards.

Verdancy is convinced that both biological and chemical plant protection products will continue to play an important role in agriculture, especially in view of the constantly changing climate. That is why the start-up is working to improve their effectiveness and environmental friendliness with a technology developed jointly at the DWI and the Chair of Biotechnology at RWTH Aachen University. They are doing this by packaging active plant protection ingredients in upcycled, plastic-free and fully biodegradable microgels that protect and release them in a controlled, programmable way. They decorate the outer surface of the microgels with naturally occurring peptides that are designed to act as anchors, allowing the microgel containers to adhere to the sheet. This prevents wash-off from rain, which should reduce the risk of soil contamination and allow better efficacy with less product.