Kemvera and Låkril Secure Top Honors at Biomanufacturing Shark Tank Competition
The Biomanufacturing Shark Tank competition in Omaha saw two startups stand out for their innovative approaches to sustainable chemical solutions. Kemvera and Låkril Technologies took home top honors, with Låkril securing the $4,000 Shark Choice award for its renewable acrylic acid platform.
Låkril's proprietary catalytic dehydration process converts corn-derived lactic acid into bio-based acrylics, achieving cost parity with conventional petrochemical acrylics while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80 percent. The resulting drop-in molecules serve major commercial markets, including paints, industrial adhesives, and super-absorbent polymers.
Kemvera claimed the $1,000 Audience Choice award for its low-carbon chemical conversion technology. The company utilizes a thermocatalytic process to transform surplus Midwest bioethanol into USDA BioPreferred-certified bio-acetic acid and bio-ethyl acetate.
Both companies are working towards scaling bio-based drop-in replacements, advancing sustainable manufacturing and offering lower-carbon alternatives to traditional petrochemical processes.