Zylepsis Raises From Prelude and Sofipa

Prelude Trust led a o2.5 million (ecu 3.7 million) second funding round for Zylepsis, a young company applying its proprietary biotransformation technology to the discovery of natural ingredients for the food and personal care industries.

Zylepsis’s biotransformation technology uses enzyme systems as catalysts for the conversion of raw materials into high-added-value natural or nature-identical products. The company owns a culture collection of organisms, including several strains with unique properties, enabling it to carry out reactions and processes not previously considered possible. These processes enable the production of natural ingredients at costs comparable to or lower than synthetic ingredients but in higher quantities. Zylepsis is addressing a rapidly growing market sector. The flavour and fragrances ingredients market world-wide is valued at $8 billion. Demand for “natural” ingredients, which is estimated to represent around 12% of the overall market at present, is currently growing at 25% per annum.

Zylepsis, which was established in 1993, received seed funding from Korda & Co and 3i. 3i has participated in this second funding round alongside lead investor Prelude, Dow Chemical Company and Sofipa. The funding will support Zylepsis as it enters the commercialisation phase.

This investment was the fourth completed by Prelude Trust since its flotation in January of this year.