The GC3 announces 10 semi-finalists in GC3 Startup Network’s 4th Annual Technology Showcase

The Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), a business-to-business collaborative that drives the commercial adoption of green chemistry, has announced the 10 semi-finalists for the GC3 Startup Network’s 4th Annual Technology Showcase, which will be held May 7, in advance of the annual GC3 Innovators Roundtable on May 8-9 in Cincinnati, Ohio (USA).

wImage.php Each year the GC3 Startup Network seeks startups to present their sustainable chemistry materials, products, and/or manufacturing technologies at the GC3 Startup Network’s Annual Technology Showcase.

Through a competitive application process, the 10 startup companies earned the opportunity to pitch their chemicals, materials, products, and manufacturing technologies. The audience will include chemical manufacturers, formulators, brands, retailers, and investors.

Representing Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the 10 semi-finalist startups offer an array of technologies and chemistries for industries such as cosmetics and personal care products, building products, apparel and textiles, cleaning products, electronics, adhesives and coatings, bioplastics, pharmaceutical, and energy: The semi-finalists are:

• Akron Ascent Innovations
• Colorifix Limited
• Defunkify
• EmulGreen
• Genecis Bioindustries Inc.
• Iron Shell LLC
• Magnomer
• Performance BioFilaments Inc.
• Visolis, Inc.
• VivaVax Inc.

The event is organized by the GC3 Startup Network, a program that fosters green chemistry entrepreneurship and accelerates the development of and market pull for green chemistry technologies.

“GC3 members actively seek to offer products that are not only high-performing and cost-competitive, but also safe for people and the environment,” said Julie Manley, Coordinator of the GC3 Startup Network.

Started in 2005, the GC3 now has over 125 members. Nearly 20 GC3 members– including Lowe’s, HP, Inc., Beiersdorf AG, Sherwin-Williams, and Eastman– have contributed to a list of sustainable chemistry technology needs to help clarify priority areas.

Visolis, Inc., one of the innovators chosen to present at the Technology Showcase, has created a cutting-edge biotechnology platform to manufacture biointermediates from a variety of biomass feedstocks. These unique biointermediates are then converted into a wide array of renewable chemicals for industries ranging from cosmetics and fragrances to solvents and polymers.

“As a startup company with a technology that has broad applications across diverse sectors, we are thrilled to have this valuable opportunity to present our technology to sustainable design experts in all of our targeted industries at one event,” said Paul Petersen, Vice President, Visolis. “It’s an ideal method of introducing our company to an informed and receptive audience.”

The winners of the Tech Showcase pitch competition will then pitch their solutions to a panel of business and technology experts on the main stage during the GC3 Innovators Roundtable. The panellists include Stephen Crawford, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Eastman; Danny Haynes, Common Application Team Leader, Corporate RD&I, Nouryon; Al Iannuzzi, Vice President of Sustainability at Esteé Lauder Companies; and Martin Mulvihill, General Partner with Safer Made.

“Eastman’s vision is to become the world’s leading material innovation company for the markets that we serve, thereby enhancing the quality of life globally for generations to come,” said Steve Crawford, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Eastman. “The GC3 Annual Innovators Roundtable and Technology Showcase helps us reach our goals by creating an environment that fosters innovation and collaboration throughout the value chain to bring sustainable chemistry solutions to market.”

“At Safer Made, we are dedicated to financing innovative solutions that enable sustainable products in a variety of industries,” said Mulvihill. “The GC3 Technology Showcase is an ideal setting to find startups creating sustainable chemistry technologies, and to stimulate conversations about potential partnerships and investments,” he added.