Peterborough, Ont., biotech company Noblegen has been acquired by American-based Solar Biotech Inc., the Virginia company announced on Tuesday.
Noblegen launched as a cleantech company focusing on purifying water. Founder and CEO Adam Noble as a teenager in Lakefield first studied how algae could be used to treat water and won numerous science fair awards for his efforts.
In 2013 he first launched Noble Tech. Inc., which later became Noblegen. At age 22 Noble was named Ontario’s best young entrepreneur by Startup Canada.
In recent years Noblegen expanded into food products, including plant-based meat and using Euglena gracilis — a single-celled organism — to be used as a protein, a source of beta-glucan, a palm oil replacement and even a scrambled egg substitute.
With the acquisition, Noblegen will now operate under the name Solar Biotech Canada, continuing as the organization’s food-grade-certified biomanufacturing and research and development hub in Canada.
Financial details on the acquisition.
On his Linked in page, Noble said his new role will be as the chief visionary officer of Solar Biotech Canada, noting he’s “truly excited” about the possibilities of new partnership.
“Now operating as Solar Biotech Canada, this union represents a leap forward in our mission to transform consumer goods and build a sustainable future,” stated Noble. “I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Alex Berlin, the CEO of Solar Biotech. After meeting Alex almost a year ago and hearing his vision for Solar Biotech, I knew consolidating our efforts into one powerhouse would be the best way to advance and accelerate our shared vision to make a lasting impact on the world. I am so excited to be embarking on this new phase of our journey with Alex, and I am incredibly proud of our team, partners and investors that have gotten us here.
“Our commitment to supporting startup innovators and empowering emerging technologies is stronger than ever.”
Solari Biotech CEO (and newly appointed chair of Solar Biotech Canada) Alex Berlin says the new company will leverage both partners’ strengths in microbiology and biomanufacturing to offer “revolutionary biotech and synthetic biology” solutions for a wide range of applications.
“This is a significant step forward for Solar Biotech and its industrial partners since it immediately brings online much-needed capacity and expertise in the biomanufacturing industry,” he stated. “We are bringing together two innovative companies with complementary intellectual property portfolios and sector experience that will help us make a lasting impact on the world.”
Solar Biotech Canada plans to leverage government support to further develop its industrial site and team while supporting the development of processes and products from a wide diversity of microorganisms, like bacteria, fungi, yeasts and microalgae.
The Norton, Va., company says the Peterborough biomanufacturing facility comprises a “fully equipped biomanufacturing hub with a total nominal capacity of over 160,000 litres of upstream precision fermentation and extensive downstream processing equipment, including spray- and freeze-drying, and innovation and analytical labs based at Trent University.”
“At the core of Solar Biotech Canada is the reality that real solutions to real problems can only be achieved through collaboration and joint efforts,” stated Mark Iliopoulos, vice-president of business and commercial operations Canada. “Through Solar Biotech Canada, we will empower innovation and emerging technologies to market sooner. We encourage companies seeking support in scaling, optimizing, and commercializing their technology to connect with us.”
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