News from IBioIC’s network

Carbogenics, an Edinburgh-based cleantech company specialising in advanced biochar solutions, has been shortlisted for the Sustainability Category at the Scotland Business of the Year Awards 2026.

Atelerix, a biotech company revolutionising cell preservation and biological transport with its pioneering hydrogel encapsulation technology, has announced the launch of STORganoid™, an ambient-temperature preservation solution for organoids and spheroids. The product enables storage and shipment of complex 3D cell models over extended periods of time, without compromising viability or reproducibility.

Fermtech, the biotech company pioneering fermentation technology to unlock more value from existing crops, has raised £2.5 million in seed funding to scale production of its Koji Cocoa™, a sustainable cocoa alternative made from cocoa shells. The product delivers 25%-33% cost savings in chocolate and baked goods and achieves up to 98% lower carbon emissions - all without requiring additional farmland.

Scottish bio-based chemical manufacturer Celtic Renewables is collaborating on a three-month project with Aberdeen-based microbiology company NCIMB. Celtic converts waste and by-products like potatoes and residues from whisky distillation into bio-based chemicals.

New Wave Biotech and iMEAN have partnered to offer biomanufacturers a pioneering combined solution for end-to-end bioprocess optimisation, combining New Wave’s downstream process, TEA and LCA modelling capabilities with iMEAN’s strain design and upstream process modelling expertise.

A drug to treat Parkinson’s disease can be made from waste plastic bottles using a pioneering method, a study shows.

The approach harnesses the power of bacteria to transform post-consumer plastic into L-DOPA, a frontline medication for the neurological disorder.

It is the first time a natural, biological process has been engineered to turn plastic waste into a therapeutic for a neurological disease, researchers say.

Firefinch Software, a multidisciplinary group of developers and experts who specialise in the development of life sciences software, today announced that they have become a member of the Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI), the UK’s leading industry association for healthtech. The move underlines Firefinch’s commitment to helping medical device developers build robust, regulation ready at every stage of their journey from start-up, spin-out or scale up.

A scientist who joined Ingenza as a 16-year-old apprentice has completed a PhD while working full-time at the company – a career path that highlights the long-term impact of work-based learning as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week.