KU startup Inobiostar was founded in 2020 with a specific goal in mind: to turn a scientific idea with enormous potential into an effective and marketable product. What foundation did your team have back then, and where are you today?
When we started our journey, we only had knowledge in the field of oil pollution cleanup and a vague understanding of how a scientific idea could be commercialized and become a marketable product. The startup was motivated by national and international recognition. At that time, we were already in intensive discussions with innovation experts from Great Britain, and our idea was ranked among the top 5 best projects of the participants in Innovation Agency’s TechHub pre-accelerator program. We then consulted with patent attorneys about protecting the idea and were encouraged to seek an international patent. All of this gave us the confidence and courage to embark on this wonderful, challenging journey.
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Now, after five years of intensive work, we have all the resources we need to pursue our dream. We have capital, access to international experts, and strong support from the business community and our colleagues. We have also begun to better understand the complexity and challenges of starting a business. We share our experience with other startups and scientists, who want to start their own businesses, which is very important to me personally. I would like to see more Lithuanian startups among the winners of European Commission programs. I would say that our team is currently experiencing its most exciting creative cycle. |
And what is born in the laboratory?
We are developing a biomaterial – InnoAerogel, a sustainable sorbent for aquatic oil spills cleanup, made from paper waste. The uniqueness of the product lies in the fact that we integrate oil-degrading microorganisms isolated from the Baltic Sea into the biomaterial. During an oil spill, this sorbent effectively absorbs pollutants, and microorganisms contribute to their biological neutralization.
Today, the sorbent market lacks effective, environmentally friendly solutions, which is particularly important for the transition to a climate-neutral economy. We hope that our product, with its unique properties, will become in demand in the field of oil pollution management and contribute to a more sustainable and cleaner future.
In 2024, the idea of Inobiostar successfully passed a multi-stage evaluation system and secured investments for further biotechnology development – the InnoAerogel project has been awarded a €2.3 million grant from EIC Accelerator, Horizon Europe – the EU’s key funding program for research and innovation. What does this say about the project?
The European Innovation Council’s EIC Accelerator program is very attractive to deep tech developers, although the program’s success rate is only 7%. Not all innovative ideas receive funding even after successfully passing all three evaluation stages. We succeeded. We can be proud that Inobiostar (currently the only spin-off company in Lithuania) has secured funding from this prestigious program. This means that we have become part of the European deep tech startup ecosystem. Here, we receive the highest quality expert assistance, also access to infrastructure and additional capital. Several times a month, we receive valuable offers to present our idea at international exhibitions or events for potential investors. We are provided with training in the areas of intellectual property and knowledge commercialization.
How is your project going?
The InnoAerogel project began on October 1, 2024. We are gaining momentum, even though only 9 of the 24 months have passed. During the entire project period, we must complete the product development process: set up a pilot production line, start manufacturing the product, and test it with various customers. To date, we have three potential product testing partners in Lithuania and one abroad. The project is running smoothly, with some activities completed ahead of schedule and others requiring more time.
What challenges are you facing?
The biggest challenge is transferring the technology from the laboratory to the production scale. Some solutions that work perfectly in the laboratory are difficult to implement in large-scale production and require unique solutions. On the one hand, this is a big challenge for the whole team, but on the other hand, it is a moment when innovation is born. We are currently finishing the design work for the aerogel production line, and preparatory work is underway to set up the production facilities. The main equipment has already been ordered and currently undergoes the manufacturing stage. We hope to install the production line by the end of the year and start running it in 2026 to produce and test aerogels. This will take another six months.
Is this how you imagined the commercialization of your invention? What qualifications and skills did the people at Inobiostar need?
The implementation of the project is very intensive, requiring not only deep interdisciplinary knowledge and experience, but also a change in attitude and personal transformation, shifting thinking from a laboratory scale to a production scale, from a scientist’s perspective to that of an entrepreneur. This experience is unique, covering the entire innovation cycle from the birth of an idea to its practical implementation. I can only be proud of my team and our achievements.
Could you, please, introduce your team? Who are your team-mates and fellow-thinkers?
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The core of the team consists of KU scientists. We started out as a duo with my colleague Dr. Marija Kataržytė, the co-author of the idea and invention. We were quickly joined by Dr. Jochen Uebe, a scientist from Germany, who successfully integrated into KU academic community and has been working with us for more than five years. Currently, there are nine people in the team, but we feel the need to continue growing sustainably. Biotechnology (KU and EU-CONEXUS (the European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability)) and chemical engineering students join the project on a regular basis, bringing energy, new perspectives, and even greater ambitions. In addition to our scientific core, we have a number of national and international partners, mentors, and coaches. Every member of the team is mission-critical, and I am sincerely happy to be able to work with such a strong and inspiring team. |
Inobiostar’s success began with an idea generated by two female scientists from KU. This feature seems to be one of the contributing factors to the success of biotechnology development and perhaps a challenge to the male-dominated world of science and business?
We all believe in our project and strive to make the most of every opportunity to develop the idea. Recently, Inobiostar was selected for the WE-RISE (Women Entrepreneurs in Renewable, Innovative, and Sustainable Enterprises) project program and is applying for an additional grant worth up to €55,000 for the development of the InnoAerogel product. More than 250 startups from 43 countries participated in the selection process, and only 20 of them were selected for the program. We are the only participants from Lithuania. The main goal of WE-RISE is to strengthen the position of female entrepreneurs in GreenTech, AgriTech, and ClimateTech, also to amplify the market presence of high potential Green-women-led startups.
Listening to you, one might get the impression that there are no insurmountable obstacles, unattainable goals, lack of investment, unfair competition, or even theft of ideas on the path to commercializing scientific inventions. Do you feel safe and secure as you dive into the ocean of the global biotechnology market?
The best protection is the expertise that leads the way. I am delighted to announce that we have just received the EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) registration certificate for our InnoAerogel trademark. This is an important step in strengthening intellectual property protection in the international market, which not only protects against unfair competition, but also strengthens the company’s credibility and increases the value of the product in the market. Such protection opens up wide opportunities for licensing, partnerships, and export development in the EU.
When does your team plan to reach the finish line? How do you visualize it? Will it be the first aerogel products manufactured, an ecological disaster in the world’s waters brought under control, or perhaps the first million earned?
Every achievement you mentioned is important to us. We have set both short-term and long-term goals, but it is a long road, so it is very important to rejoice every step of the way. This is what we do with our team. Personally, as a scientist, I am very much looking forward to the successful refinement of the final product “recipe”. As a chemical and environmental engineer, I am looking forward to the installation and launch of the aerogel production line. This will be a significant step on our journey. Later, we will seek to test the product with the actual customers – we already have partners in Lithuania and are establishing contacts with foreign markets.
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This ambitious project is a strong driving force for further business development and the opportunity to multiply it on a larger scale and in different locations, so our main priority in the near future will be to attract capital. We plan to continue improving the product by optimizing production processes and costs, as well as looking for opportunities to apply aerogels in other areas. This is just the beginning.
