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- 🦠 100+ Microbe Mavericks
🦠 100+ Microbe Mavericks
Plus: Endolith, SOSV, Revel, SirenOpt, Voyager Ventures, Anywhere Ventures join the HackSummit line up
Some of the smallest organisms on Earth are doing the heavy lifting in the fight against climate change.
Microbes, nature’s original engineers, have been quietly perfecting processes that humans have not long begun to replicate: capturing carbon, restoring soils, recycling metals, and producing vital nutrients.
And now, startups are giving them a helping hand by engineering them, pairing them with advanced technologies, and scaling their natural abilities for global impact.
In recent funding news
Genomines closed its Series A $45 million to scale its plant-based phytoextraction platform that produces battery-grade nickel
Fieldstone Bio raised $5 million to develop gene-edited microbes that act as living environmental sensors to map soil nutrients, contaminants and landmines
Solena Materials raised €5.9 million to scale its AI-designed, biodegradable protein fibres, engineered using microbes and renewable feedstocks
Terra Oleo emerged from stealth with $3.1 million to scale its precision-fermented, waste-derived alternatives to palm oil and cocoa butter.
From microbial factories producing high-quality proteins, to organisms that clean up polluted soils or capture industrial CO₂, these pioneers show us that sometimes the most monumental solutions come in the tiniest packages.
So we built a list of 115 startups in the space and caught up with 16 experts to unpack microbe’s true potential in adaptation, mitigation and circular solutions for a climate-resilient future.
Next up: We’ll be joined by Liz Dennett of Endolith next month at the HackSummit as she joins Deborah Zajac, General Partner at SOSV for a microbe-centred fireside chat.
In this week’s edition:
🔝 96 Ways with Microbes
Microbes are emerging as powerful tools to tackle climate, food, and industrial challenges, from capturing carbon and regenerating soil to producing next-generation proteins and recovering metals from waste.
Beyond these headline applications, they are being harnessed to boost crop yields, transform low-grade ores into valuable resources, reduce methane emissions from agriculture, and replace energy-intensive chemicals and fuels.
Meanwhile in textiles, microbes are creating vibrant natural dyes and sustainable fibers, and in industrial systems, enable decentralized, low-impact manufacturing processes.
We’ve mapped 96 startups above, and our ever-growing list now tracks 115 innovators spanning 33 countries turning microbes into real-world climate, food, and industrial solutions to prove that the tiniest organisms are driving some of the biggest breakthroughs.
💡 Microbe’s Impact Potential
Through genetically programmable organisms, precision fermentation, and innovative microbial engineering, startups are unlocking scalable, sustainable solutions that decarbonize industries, build circular economies, and transform waste into value.
We caught up with 16 experts to better understand the impact potential and possible pitfalls when scaling, and get their perspectives on the future of microbial innovation.
Hear from: Biometallica, BIOWEG, BioBlends, Blue Skies Minerals, Cooling Crops, Cyano Capture, Endolith, GenoMines, ImaginDairy, MicroHarvest, Nunatak Biotech, Pluton Biosciences, PX Group, Verley, Vertus Energy and Vexxel.
🔦 Microbes in the HackSummit Spotlight
Liz Dennett is on a mission to make mining more sustainable by harnessing the power of microbes. As CEO and Founder of Endolith, Liz and her team of geomicrobiology and biotechnology experts are developing new ways to extract valuable minerals like copper and lithium from low-grade ores.
Their approach leverages microbes to increase recovery rates while reducing chemical use and cutting carbon emissions, helping make mining cleaner and more efficient.
This December, Liz joins Deborah Zajac, General Partner of SOSV for a fireside chat at the HackSummit in New York (December 10–11) to discuss Endolith’s biotech journey, and the potential for microbes to power the future of sustainable mining. Plus, get the inside track on SOSV’s 60 “first-check” pre-seed investments, up to $550K each, made every year, along with 150 follow-on investments.
🎤 Also on Stage Next Month
Next month at the HackSummit in New York (Dec 10–11), the forefront of advanced manufacturing and mobility comes to the fore as we are joined by:
Jared O’Leary, Co-Founder and CEO of smart manufacturing startup SirenOpt, joins Sarah Sclarsic, Founder and Managing Partner of Voyager Ventures, for a fireside chat on how SirenOpt’s manufacturing intelligence platform leverages real-time sensing and data-driven decision-making to enable the sustainable, smart production of advanced, high-performance products that drive innovation and societal progress.
Meanwhile, Frank Reig, Co-Founder and CEO of EV fast-charging startup Revel and Jean-Christian Jung, Managing Partner of Anywhere Ventures take the stage to discuss how Revel is accelerating EV adoption in cities through high-density public fast charging and the supporting infrastructure and services that make going electric easy.
With 25 top-tier speakers already confirmed to join us on December 10-11th in New York, now is the time to get your pass today and join them at Newlab next month.
Got questions or want to get more involved? Book a call with us today.
We hope to see you there
Laura at Hack
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