Primient, a leader in plant-based renewable ingredients, and Synonym, a developer of biomanufacturing infrastructure, have announced a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the innovation and commercialization of bioproducts. This collaboration seeks to enhance the U.S.'s competitive edge in bringing new, functional, and affordable biomaterials to market.

Combining Primient’s extensive expertise in the bioproduct sector with Synonym’s state-of-the-art biomanufacturing platforms, the partnership is poised to provide comprehensive support from lab concept to commercial scale. This synergy promises a meticulously vetted process, ensuring the successful launch of new bioproducts.

With over a century in agri-business, Primient is a pioneer in the bioproduct space, excelling in the development and manufacturing of food and industrial ingredients, as well as fermentation processes from feedstock to finished product.

“We’re one of the originals in this space,” says Jim Stutelberg, Chief Executive Officer of Primient. “We understand the potential of biobased products and solutions and have the proven experience to back it up at scale. Our partnership with Synonym will make a material difference for companies trying to break the biobased barrier by providing a scalable, data-led proving ground to grow with support. We are excited to be a part of this project and look forward to the positive difference we can make together.”

Synonym, known for its collaborative and data-driven approach, offers a portfolio of solutions that support companies throughout their commercialization journey. Its digital tools have been instrumental for numerous companies in the precision fermentation sector, helping them navigate the complex path to market entry.

“Thousands of companies in the precision fermentation sector have used our digital tools, and we understand the steep barriers to entry to bring bioproducts to market. Synonym has consistently developed solutions that support companies throughout their scale-up journeys, and we are thrilled to take a major step forward by expanding our offerings to include capacity at the demonstration scale.” says Edward Shenderovich, Chief Executive Officer of Synonym. “By combining our expertise in development and financing with Primient’s manufacturing excellence and scale, we are enabling customers to transition seamlessly from concept to commercialization. We are excited to witness the impact of this project and partnership in the coming months.”

The collaboration's first project will be based at Primient’s Decatur, IL facility, focusing on re-commissioning and upgrading existing fermentation assets, expanding current capacity, and significantly enhancing the downstream processing unit. This initiative, dubbed iPROOF (Pilot Research Operations Optimization Facility), is partially funded by a U.S. Department of Commerce and Economic Development Administration Phase 2 Tech Hub Grant Award.

Once completed, the Primient-Synonym facility will offer a full suite of services for companies utilizing precision fermentation, enabling them to scale new product concepts from the lab to commercial production. This partnership marks a significant step forward in fostering bioproduct innovation and commercialization in the U.S.

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