Delft Advanced Biorenewables attracts capital and commercial director for scale-up phase

Serial entrepreneur Jan Willem Klerkx participates  and joins start-up Delft Advanced Biorenewables (DAB), that developed a unique technology to produce biochemicals and biofuels in a cheaper and more efficient way. Klerkx becomes shareholder and joins the management. Details about the investment are not published. 

DAB, a spin-off of TU Delft, has gone through an extensive development trajectory in the last four years and is now in the phase of scaling up, in which Klerkx will play an important role. Using his knowledge and experience, the serial entrepreneur regularly joins technology start-ups to  strengthen them in the field of management and sales. Previously, he invested in the start-up Scyfer (artificial intelligence), which was taken over by Qualcomm last year.

With DAB, Klerkx now focuses on sustainable energy. "I had the idea for a while to spend my time and energy on supporting the circular economy. What DAB does - reducing the production costs of biofuels and biochemicals - is an important contribution to this. The technology and scientific team of DAB are world-class. I look forward to making the company stronger commercially with my experience."

DAB Corporate Movie from DelftAB on Vimeo.

Director of DAB, Kirsten Steinbusch, is pleased with the arrival of Klerkx. "Jan Willem has proven to be able to make a difference in knowledge based start-ups. We can use his commercial skills and strategy to enable DAB to grow further."

TU Delft also has an interest in DAB through ‘Delft Enterprises’. Director Paul Althuis: "TU Delft is committed to work on a sustainable future. That is why it is important that our scientists’ groundbreaking research also reaches the market. That is why we invest in promising technological innovations, such as those of DAB."

DAB was founded in 2012 with the conviction that in the near future there will be an increasing demand for advanced fuels and chemicals that are produced from biomass. To make biobased an attractive alternative, the production process should become cost effective and scalable. DAB has developed a unique separation and reactor technology to convert organic material into biofuels and biological chemicals in a single process step, resulting in both lower costs and simplified production.

DAB works closely with TU Delft and the Bioprocess Pilot Facility (BPF) to scale up the technology. The joint research project is subsidized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, national regulations for Ministry of Economic Affairs subsidies and the ‘Top Sector Energie’ carried out by the Dutch Enterprise Agency (RVO).

For more information, please contact Kirsten Steinbusch - Managing Director DAB