The journey from lab to biotech spin-out
Chromologics is a spin-out from the Technical University of Denmark, headed by Gerit Tolborg. Drawing on Gerit’s PhD research, Chromologics focuses on sustainable production of high performing, sustainable, and vegan colorants – primarily for the food industry – based on a fungal biotech platform.
The company has been developed with the help of a series of grants and investments, mainly through the innovation ecosystem provided by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Early in the process, in 2016, the project received an Exploratory Pre-Seed grant that made it possible to validate the core idea and build a network around the project. In 2018, a Pre-Seed grant enabled them to expand the team, but also to open a research & development track and start upscaling the process.
Once the project had been matured, it was time to develop the enterprise. In 2020, they received a grant for a three-months stay at the Business Acceleration Academy at the BioInnovation Institute, where they could focus on developing the skills required to commercialize Chromologics. The team excelled and won the BII Acceleration Award for their company pitch.
In September 2020, Chromologics entered a new phase of their development by succeeding in raising EUR 1.9 million in seed financing, with Novo Seeds as the main contributor and supported by Nordic FoodTech VC and Vækstfonden.
Experience CEO Gerit Tolborg tell about the journey from lab to biotech spin-out