Rubi, a company transforming manufacturing to work in harmony with the planet, has secured a $969,961 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This competitive grant, awarded to fewer than 5% of applicants over the last decade, highlights Rubi’s innovative CO2-to-materials technology and will help the company advance its carbon-to-cellulose platform toward commercialization.

Rubi has developed a groundbreaking cell-free biocatalysis technology to produce CO2-derived materials and chemicals. Its initial focus is creating CO2-derived cellulose as an alternative to traditional wood pulp, aiming to decarbonize textile production by avoiding deforestation and reducing the environmental footprint of raw material manufacturing. With proven technology and strong industry partnerships, this nearly $1 million award will enable Rubi to meet the increasing global demand for low-carbon materials.

The NSF Phase II grant builds on Rubi’s successful completion of a Phase I grant in 2023, which advanced multi-enzyme cascade design and enzyme stabilization for carbon-to-cellulose production. Since then, the company has achieved significant milestones, including:

• Raising a $8.7 million Seed round, co-led by H&M Group and Patagonia.
• Establishing pilot partnerships with multinational brands like H&M, Patagonia, Reformation, GANNI, and Nuuly.
• Conducting pilot projects with Walmart.
• Debuting the first treads made from CO2 using a fully enzymatic process with Ganni.

“This award is a testament to Rubi’s vision for a symbiotic manufacturing future and our ambition to lead the next era of sustainable industry,” said Neeka Mashouf, Co-Founder and CEO of Rubi. “As we move into 2025, this grant will accelerate our efforts to scale CO2-derived, low-carbon cellulose for the textile industry, ultimately allowing us to transform environmental challenges into opportunities, bridge our proven science with existing supply chains, and set a new standard for decoupling industrial growth from environmental degradation.”

“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”

Rubi’s proprietary technology employs a cascade of specialized enzymes to convert simple 1-carbon molecules into complex carbohydrate polymers like cellulose under mild conditions. Compared to traditional methods such as fermentation or chemical catalysis, Rubi’s cell-free enzymatic platform offers a 10x reduction in capital costs, 3x higher yields than fermentation, and significantly lower energy usage, all while expanding the range of possible products.

Unlike cell-based fermentation—which requires energy-intensive conditions to maintain living organisms and often results in over 70% byproduct waste—Rubi’s cell-free process converts nearly all carbon inputs into the desired product, maximizing efficiency and minimizing resource demands.

“Rubi’s cell-free biocatalysis approach is a paradigm shift in manufacturing, providing a sustainable and efficient solution to produce CO2-derived materials without exploiting natural resources. By producing forest-free cellulose in hours rather than decades and with drastically reduced carbon emissions, water usage, and land impact, Rubi offers a faster, more sustainable alternative to traditional wood pulp,” said Dr. Leila Mashouf, M.D., Co-Founder and CTO of Rubi. “We’re thrilled to have the continued support of the NSF with this Phase II award and look forward to scaling our technology to meet the growing global demand for ultra-low-carbon, bio-based materials.”