News & Media
Aplantex uses the valuable guidance of the circular innovation fund acceleration program operated by cycle momentum and accelerates the implementation of its strategic plan
March 26, 2024
Montreal, March 26th, 2024 – The Circular Innovation Fund (CIF) – a global venture capital fund focused on circular innovation and jointly managed by European-based Demeter and North American-based Cycle Capital, celebrates the closing of the Circular Innovation Fund 2023 Acceleration Program – Global Edition’s first cohort. L’Oreal, anchor investor in the Circular Innovation Fund, played a key role in the development and success of this program operated by Cycle Momentum.
The production of our first molecules was faster than expected and the results of external analyses on their purity far exceed our expectations.
“The Circular Innovation Fund is dedicated to scaling solutions that positively strive to mitigate climate change and the circular use of resources. In addition to funding, we are excited to collaborate with Cycle Momentum to provide acceleration services and expertise to the most talented early-stage entrepreneurs to bring more innovative solutions to the market.” Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder & Managing Partner, Cycle Capital
Aplantex’s innovative industrial platform is clearly part of the circular economy. Its local production process significantly reduces supply chains and automation at each stage of the process, the loop reuse of several inputs, and the use of renewable energy sources make it energy efficient and carbon neutral. This process of producing bioactive molecules is more environmentally responsible than agriculture, conventional biotechnology platforms, or the conventional chemical industry.
“The entire Aplantex team is proud of the significant support of the Circular Innovation Fund for its innovative green biotechnology process. This is a further recognition of our sustained efforts in the creation of our photosynthetic plant replicators, the rigorous development of our continuous production process, and the meticulous installation of state-of-the-art equipment by our scientific and production team. At this stage of the execution of our strategic plan, we focus on the production of molecules recognized for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-aging properties relevant to the needs of the cosmetic, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Today, the production of rich biomass allows us to extract several flavonoids of interest with high purity, including Luteolin, Apigenin, Vitexin, and Orientin. We have passed this step faster than expected and the results of external analyses on the purity of our molecules far exceed our expectations. Our participation in the CIF acceleration program allows us to accelerate the implementation of our strategic plan, including larger-scale production and the continuation of our marketing initiatives to key customers.” Patrick Charest, BSc, P.Eng., CEO of Aplantex.
