c16 Biosciences - Supporting New Palm Oil Alternative Development

 SP Investment Fund LLC is a company that has had impressive investment results in the emerging technology and real estate spheres. Among the enterprises SP Investment Fund LLC has invested in is c16 Biosciences, which is launching Palmless, its fermentation-based palm oil replacement. Release of the new product is targeted for the personal care segment in 2023, and for the food segment in 2024.

Seeking to end the dominance of traditional palm oil, which is land and carbon emissions intensive, c16 Biosciences has developed a robust non-GMO oleaginous yeast strain. This “super-productive” microorganism generates as much as 90 percent lipids by weight, resulting in a fatty acid profile that resembles palm oil closely. The yeast strain is not very sensitive to pH and temperature changes, and can consume a wide range of feedstocks. These include sucrose, glycerol, glucose, and various carbon sources, with the yeast thriving even when not fed for an extended period.

One major challenge for c16 Biosciences has centered on how to obtain the oil from where it is contained, which is within the walls of the yeast cells. A “short and sweet” method has recently been developed for disrupting the cells through downstream processing. In order to make the business grow, the company is seeking a foothold in the most profitable markets first, such as health and beauty.

Royal Couple Visits Greentown Incubator, Meets C16 Biosciences CEO

 SP Investment Fund LLC is a firm that has focused on the provision of quality affordable housing for low and very low-income families and the elderly. Another area of focus for SP Investment Fund LLC focus is on innovative start-up companies. SP has invested in a broad cross section of companies that spans the gamut from Indian fintech unicorn Razorpay to C16 Biosciences, which subsequently received an investment from Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

C16 was in the news in late 2022 as Britain’s Prince William and his partner Kate, Princess of Wales, made their first trip abroad since Queen Elizabeth II’s death. They visited Greentown, a Boston green technology startup incubator that is the largest such facility in North America. Over the past 11 years, it has supported the climate technology efforts of more than 500 enterprises.

The royals met with Shara Ticku, CEO of C16 Biosciences, and discussed her company’s pathway toward creating a sustainable palm oil alternative and decarbonizing the consumer products supply chain. She noted that while today’s oils come from carbon-intensive animals and agriculture production, the C16 Biosciences approach involves the sustainable use of yeast that has been bio-engineered to produce a palm oil alternative.

Razorpay’s Payment Pages

With a wide expertise in investing, renovating and developing affordable housing, SP Investment Fund LLC and its affiliates have invested in, renovated, and/or developed well over 10,000 housing units of affordable housing for low-income and very low-income senior citizens, disabled individuals, and families. SP Investment Fund also invests in early-stage technology companies whose products will significantly benefit society. One such investment is its seed stage investment in Bengaluru, India’s Razorpay, a company that is now the highest valued fintech company in India.

Razorpay is a disruptive neobanking and payment platform that assists entrepreneurs in managing their business. In December 2021, it had a market valuation of $7.5 billion, resulting from a $375 million F series fundraising. One of its offering is the Razorpay Payment Pages. Through this platform, online sellers, event organizers, and those accepting donations can host their payment pages without coding or technical expertise.

Clients can list multiple products for sale with images of the products on a single payment page. Controls include setting the minimum purchase payment and minimum and maximum number of items to purchase. Clients can also send automated receipts, and NGOs can send automated 80G receipts.

The payment pages’ look and feel are customizable to reflect brand identity and image. Other features include intuitive reporting available on the dashboard, which help enhance business decision-making. To learn more about Razorpay and its offerings, visit www.razorpay.com.

Y Combinator’s Seed Funding Method

With a focus on social impact investing, SP Investment Fund is passionate about investing in early-stage companies that will positively impact society.

In furtherance of its goals, SP Investment Fund has invested along the side of other prominent and likeminded venture capital firms, such as Y Combinator (YC).

YC prides itself on creating a welcoming environment for startup founders. To do so, it accepts applications twice annually, from January to March and June through August, where prospective entrepreneurs explain their idea, no matter how specific or vague. If the YC team likes the idea, they add that startup to the batch for that mentorship period. During that period, batchmates receive not just seed money, but advice on how to pitch their ideas to larger venture capital firms, including those interested in either early or later company stages.

YC also operates an Aspiring Founders program, to educate people interested in startup creation who do not yet have an idea. In addition to weekly video modules, students talk with their fellows weekly, exploring material and discussing startup ideas. YC also promotes the Aspiring Founders course as a way to find co-founders.

Biotechnology for Fast Disease

Since 1990, the SP investment Fund LLC and its affiliates have been investing in affordable housing communities for low-income and very low-income families and senior citizens. The firm and its affiliates have invested in well over 10,000 housing units and in over 100 communities. Also, SP Investment Fund and its affiliates invest in emerging technology entrepreneurs in biotechnology, robotics, medical equipment, and finance to promote a better quality of life and save lives. One such investment is Unima, a transformative biotechnology firm.

Effective and on-time diagnostics remain a hurdle to disease prevention, treatment, and death prevention. The contributing factor mainly falls on high cost and lack of access to the equipment rather than skills and knowledge. Unima developed low-cost diagnostic and disease surveillance tools to serve underserved communities.

The Unima flagship $1 blood test device encompasses a paper diagnostic test. The medical practitioner puts a drop of blood from the patient, snaps a photo of the device, and uses the Unima proprietary application to process the results in less than 15 minutes. The data and analytics are stored and accessed in real-time to aid decision-makers in developing strategies to curb any detected disease spread.

Amity Heights Apartments Renovation

SP Investment Fund, a Los Angeles based firm with extensive experience investing in, renovating and developing affordable housing, expects to begin renovations on the Amity Heights Apartments in Bridgeton New Jersey in early 2022.

Amity Heights Apartments consists of 196 one to five bedroom garden apartment units that are affordable to low income and very low income families in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The apartment community was originally developed by the Michael Levitt of the Michaels Company in the mid-1970s and has not undergone any renovations since then. In concert with Riverside Charitable Corporation, a non-profit public benefit corporation, SP plans to extensively renovate the property and preserve its affordability. The amenities in the building include a community room to facilitate social events and activities, kitchens, computers, two playground areas, a basketball court, a full time social service director, free in-unit Wifi/Cable, fitness rooms, and community room.

Amity Heights is located in an Opportunity Zone. Assistance for the project has been obtained from the City of Bridgeton, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, low income housing tax credits, and the HUD FHA loan and Project Based Section 8 programs.

Opentrons Closes $200M Series C

via WordPress https://ift.tt/3bfuOb2