SUZANO-VENTURES
24.4.2024 09:02:29 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Suzano Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Suzano, the world’s largest market pulp producer, has made a strategic investment into the Canadian materials science startup, Bioform Technologies. The investment provides up to US$5 million towards the company’s seed round, enabling it to accelerate the development of its novel bio-based plastic alternatives. The products can be manufactured through modified industrial processes already used in the pulp and paper sector.
Bioform’s proprietary technology rapidly produces wood pulp-reinforced hydrogels to create high-performance plastic alternatives, which can be made using Suzano’s wood pulp fibre as a key input. Bioform’s materials have the potential to be home compostable or recycled through existing paper recycling processes and do not require fossil-based inputs. The technology is highly versatile and has a number of applications where it could replace conventional single-use plastics, including paper recyclable thermoformable films for packaging applications and compostable heat-sealable films for pouches, agriculture, and garbage bags.
With the potential to offer an 80 percent lower carbon footprint than conventional single-use plastics, Bioform’s technology has similar or enhanced product performance to conventional plastics in areas such as tensile strength and permeability for oxygen or water vapor.
Chris Clark, Chief Executive Officer of Bioform Technologies, said:
“Our goal is to produce sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics at the speed of paper and at the cost of plastic. We are harnessing the speed and efficiency of pulp and paper manufacturing to make swift and impactful steps into the marketplace. The technical validation and strategic investment from Suzano Ventures gives us a link to the world’s largest market pulp producer. We can also access Suzano’s world-leading expertise to help us rapidly accelerate the production efficiencies and cost reductions needed to make a significant reduction in the reliance on single-use plastics.”
Paula Puzzi, Senior Manager at Suzano Ventures, said:
“We’ve looked closely at Bioform’s technology and we see great promise in their technology and ability to disrupt the industry. Around the world, there are a number of innovations being developed that each offer more sustainable alternatives to the mountains of single-use plastic that we throw away each year, polluting our cities and soils, rivers, and seas. The great challenge is scaling production and getting to cost competitiveness versus cheap single-use plastic. By using renewable material and harnessing established industrial processes and machinery from the pulp and paper sector, we believe that Bioform has the opportunity to disrupt established supply chains and rapidly replace the need for fossil-based materials.”
Bioform has previously raised US$2.4 million from direct investments and US$1.2 million from non-dilutive sources to streamline its technology and validate performance and processes in its labs. This funding from Suzano Ventures will enable the company to realize a demonstration facility to pilot its manufacturing process and expand its team and capabilities.
Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, Suzano is the world’s largest market pulp producer and one of Latin America’s largest paper manufacturers. Producing its pulp entirely from farmed eucalyptus, the company’s products reach over 2 billion people around the world in over 100 countries. Suzano has had a presence in Canada since 2015, with a large research and development center for pulp, paper, and biomaterials technologies located in Vancouver.
About Suzano Ventures
Suzano Ventures is the venture capital arm of Suzano, the world’s largest market pulp producer - the key raw material for paper and packaging products that are part of the lives of more than 2 billion people around the world in over 100 countries. We invest globally in businesses that are pioneering innovative approaches to harness the power of trees, to help build the future of the bioeconomy.
We are committing an initial US$70 million to support the development and growth of companies across four investment areas: novel applications for eucalyptus biomaterials, sustainable packaging, forestry technology, and carbon removal. We help startups to grow, which in turn have the potential to develop and help shape the future of Suzano’s business.
Our strategic investments deliver shared value. By placing science at the heart of business, we help early-stage startups to grow, which, in turn, have the potential to develop and help shape the future of Suzano's business.
We provide our portfolio companies with capital, technical expertise, and market insights, alongside access to our global operations, supply chain and customer base. This includes the ability to engage with our hundreds of scientists, engineers, and technologists, based at Suzano’s research centers and operations across four continents.
About Bioform Technologies
Founded in 2021, Bioform has developed a proprietary method to manufacture plastic alternatives based on wood pulp reinforced hydrogels at high speeds by modifying existing pulp and paper making machinery. The manufacturing process has a low carbon footprint and can produce highly versatile materials to replace a wide range of single use plastics. Bioform has developed both compostable and paper-recyclable films that can be heat sealed or thermoformed depending on the application.
Bioform’s core technology was developed at the University of British Columbia by co-founders Jordan MacKenzie, the company’s current CTO, and Mark Martinez, Professor, Bio-Products Institute, University of British Columbia.
For further information please contact Chris Clark at cclark@bioformtech.com
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240424575263/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Cognite Positioned as a Front Runner in LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms23.4.2026 20:00:00 CEST | Press release
Cognite, the global leader in Industrial AI, has been named a Front Runner in the LNS Research Solution Selection Matrix for Industrial AI Platforms (SSM). The LNS Research SSM evaluates vendors using a rigorous methodology that leverages its “3P” framework—Product, Potential, and Presence—to assess both current capabilities and future readiness. Within the report, Cognite is recognized in three key areas: depth in user-centric industrial AI applications, its knowledge graph-based data model, and its strong partner ecosystem. Together, all three give Cognite the ability to unify and contextualize complex industrial data, enabling organizations to operationalize AI at scale. “Cognite brings a sophisticated data model built for industrial complexities, along with advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, which is crucial for industrial organizations to achieve meaningful productivity gains and enterprise-wide ROI,” said Vivek Murugesan, Research Analyst at LNS Research. “These capabilit
Venture Global Announces Closing of $750,000,000 Senior Secured Notes by Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC23.4.2026 19:47:00 CEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (“Venture Global”, NYSE: VG) announced today that its subsidiary, Venture Global Calcasieu Pass, LLC (“VGCP”) has closed an offering of $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.000% senior secured notes due 2036 (the “Notes”). The Notes will mature on May 1, 2036. VGCP used the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand and proceeds received from certain hedge terminations, for the prepayment, in full, of VGCP’s outstanding term loans, and to pay fees and expenses in connection with the offering. The Notes are guaranteed by TransCameron Pipeline, LLC (VGCP’s affiliate). The Notes are secured on a pari passu basis by a first-priority security interest in the assets that secure VGCP’s existing senior secured first lien credit facilities and VGCP’s existing senior secured notes. The Notes were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the securities laws of any state or other jurisdictions, and the Notes
Does Muscle Composition Identify High-Risk Individuals in Chronic Kidney Disease? New AMRA Medical Study Says Yes, Reveals Strong Link to Mortality23.4.2026 17:10:00 CEST | Press release
AMRA Medical researchers recently set out to answer the question: what is the relationship between adverse muscle composition (AMC) and mortality in kidney disease? Recent findings demonstrate that AMC, characterized by low muscle volume z-score and high muscle fat infiltration, is an independent and strong predictor of all-cause mortality in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The findings, published in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, were based on data from the UK Biobank imaging study and further reinforce the clinical relevance of MRI-derived muscle biomarkers in identifying high-risk populations across chronic diseases. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260423198497/en/ AMRA's MRI-based muscle biomarkers in clinical trials Researchers from AMRA, alongside our collaborators at Linköping University (LiU), analyzed 894 participants with CKD using AMRA’s MRI-based body composi
Diligent Unveils AI Board Member and Agentic GRC Workforce at Elevate 202623.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Diligent’s agentic AI strengthens board oversight and transforms how GRC teams work — reducing manual effort and outside-advisor dependency, tightening control over sensitive workflows and enabling leaders to make faster, more defensible decisions Diligent, the AI leader in governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS solutions, today unveiled a new generation of autonomous AI agents, including AI Board Member — a secure AI assistant for directors — and a coordinated network of agents embedded across the Diligent One Platform. Accessible through a single command center, agents automate multi-step workflows across governance, risk, compliance and third-party management, giving organizations the impact of a “GRC manager” without adding headcount. “AI supercharges teams that embrace it, and boards are no exception,” said Brian Stafford, President and CEO of Diligent. “With AI Board Member and a network of autonomous agents woven through the Diligent One Platform, we’re giving the C-suite an
Safe Software Bolsters Leadership Team with CFO and CPO Appointments to Drive Next Phase of Growth23.4.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
CFO and CPO executive hires to enhance operational and financial performance on the company’s path to $250M by 2028 Safe Software (Safe), creator of FME, the only All-Data, Any-AI enterprise integration platform, today welcomes two executives to its leadership team as it moves into the next phase of growth. Judd Lee has been appointed as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Vanessa Ribreau has been appointed as Chief People Officer (CPO). Having recently crossed $100M in revenue, the expanded leadership team will further enable the company to scale as it accelerates toward its goal of reaching $250M in revenue by 2028. Judd Lee is a seasoned CFO with over 15 years of experience partnering closely with CEOs to align financial strategy and accelerate sustainable growth. He is known for his strong commitment to mentorship and for building high-performing global teams rooted in trust, morale and a shared sense of purpose. With more than two decades of financial leadership acros
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom