Purissima
Purissima Bio creates cannabinoids through fermentation of microalgae.
Summary
Purissima Bio has developed a platform to produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) grade bioactive molecules, including cannabinoids through fermentation of heterotrophic microalgae. Their platform technology provides a consistent, scalable, and reliable supply of high-quality functional molecules in commercial volumes, at a fraction of current production times and costs. They are targeting multiple classes of compounds, including plant lipids that have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer properties and have already demonstrated production of both major cannabinoids (CBDA and THCA) and commercially inaccessible trace cannabinoids.
Why we invested
- Exceptional founding team that have all worked together at Solazyme with skills covering all aspects for successful operation of the business.
- Strong expertise in synthetic biology and utilizing a system proven to successfully achieve microalgae biosynthesis at scale.
- Technical execution to date has been excellent.
- API grade bioactive molecule production appears very likely to grow into a large global consumer driven market as the "food as medicine" movement continues to mature.
Contact Purissima
Team
Robert Evans
CEO/Cofounder
Before founding Purissima, Robert was VP of Business Development for Anellotech where they develop a process to convert cellulosic biomass into aromatic chemicals. He has also held senior positions at worked at TerraVia and DSM. He has an MBA from University of Southern Indiana and a BS in Chemistry from George Mason University,
George Rudenko
CTO/Cofounder
Before founding Purissima, George was the Principal Scientist at Kiverdi where he was responsible for development of carbon engineering technology to recycle carbon dioxide into high value oils, proteins and bio-based chemicals. At TerraVia he developed key elements of genetic engineering technology. George has a PhD in Molecular Biology from the Academy of Sciences in Ukraine and Russia and has held academic positions at Free University Amsterdam, University of Cologne and Stanford.
Yelena Popova
CFO/Cofounder
Prior to Purissima, Yelena lead the finance and accounting organization at Impossible Foods as VP, Corporate Controller. She has also held senior positions at Silicon Valley Bank Capital and TerraVia. Yelena has an MS in Computer Science and an MBA from MIET.