Visolis
Visolis is a Hayward-based bio-manufacturing platform combining synthetic biology and chemical catalysis to produce MEV, a drop-in bio-based replacement for petroleum fuels and chemicals, serving aviation, defense, and specialty rubber markets through enterprise licensing partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersHayward, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Visolis does
Visolis is a Hayward, California-based bio-manufacturing platform company that integrates synthetic biology with chemical catalysis to produce MEV, a safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable liquid platform chemical designed as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-derived fuels and chemicals. Its hybrid bio-thermocatalytic process converts biomass into a portfolio of specialty products including high-purity bio-isoprene monomers for sustainable rubber production (co-developed with Zeon Corporation), AroSAF sustainable aviation fuel that meets Jet-A specifications without fossil blending, and a non-toxic bio-based solvent for aircraft maintenance applications funded and piloted by the U.S. Department of War/DOD. The distributed manufacturing model enables production near global feedstock sources using existing or stranded assets.
The company operates a licensing-and-partnership business model, monetizing its MEV platform through technology licensing, co-development, and royalty arrangements with industrial anchor partners such as Zeon, Goodyear, and an unnamed Japanese chemical manufacturer pursuing a SAF production facility. Revenue is supplemented by non-dilutive government contracts, including cumulative awards exceeding $5 million from the U.S. Department of War under the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program, plus prior support from DOE, USDA, NSF, Horizon 2020, and the Gates Foundation. Visolis targets three primary segments—aviation fuels, defense/government, and specialty chemicals/rubber—via enterprise field sales and quote-based pricing. The company was founded in 2019 (per company history timeline) and remains privately held; it is led by founder Deepak Dugar as President and CEO.
Visolis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Visolis
- Legal name
- Visolis, Inc.
- Website
- https://visolisbio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Visolis is a Hayward-based bio-manufacturing platform combining synthetic biology and chemical catalysis to produce MEV, a drop-in bio-based replacement for petroleum fuels and chemicals, serving aviation, defense, and specialty rubber markets through enterprise licensing partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Visolis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-based Chemicals and Fuels
- NAICS
- Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Cyclic Crude, Intermediate, and Gum and Wood Chemical Manufacturing (325194)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bio-based Solvents & Process Chemicals (e.g., bio-acetone, bio-butanol, bio-IPA, green solvents) (EUAAAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bio-based Resins, Adhesives, Coatings & Sealants (EUAAAIAG), Bio-based Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, bio-PE, bio-PET, cellulose acetate) (IMAMALAC)
Keywords
Where Visolis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hayward
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Visolis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chemicals Platform (MEV): Visolis generates revenue through licensing its MEV technology platform to partners for production of bio-based chemicals, fuels, and solvents. The company produces drop-in replacement molecules for petroleum-based products.
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF): Revenue from production and licensing of AroSAF technology for 100% bio-based jet fuel meeting Jet-A specifications.
- Bio-Based Materials (Isoprene, Solvents): Commercialization of bio-isoprene monomers and specialty solvents through partnerships with industrial manufacturers.
- Government Contracts: Direct funding awards from U.S. Department of Defense/War under DBIMP program for technology development and scale-up.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Visolis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Visolis develops and produces bio-based chemicals and fuels through a proprietary hybrid bio-thermocatalytic platform. The company's flagship product is MEV, a non-toxic, biodegradable, non-flammable liquid platform chemical that serves as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. From MEV, Visolis commercializes specialized offerings including Bio-Isoprene Monomers for sustainable rubber, AroSAF Sustainable Aviation Fuel meeting Jet-A standards, and Non-Toxic Bio-Based Solvents for aircraft maintenance.
Product overview
Visolis operates as a bio-manufacturing platform company that integrates biology's ability to design exact molecules with chemical catalysis's speed and volume. The core product is MEV (Monooxygenation of Ethylene to Valuable chemicals), a highly shippable, non-toxic, biodegradable liquid that serves as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. Built on the MEV platform, Visolis offers specialized products including Bio-Isoprene Monomers for sustainable rubber production (commercialized with Zeon Corporation), AroSAF for 100% bio-based sustainable aviation fuel meeting Jet-A standards, and a Non-Toxic Bio-Based Solvent for aircraft maintenance applications (funded by the U.S. Department of Defense). The platform enables distributed manufacturing, allowing production near feedstock sources worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MEV: A highly shippable liquid that is safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable. It serves as a drop-in replacement for fuels and chemicals and enables high performance specialty products.
- AroSAF
- Bio-isoprene
Products and services
- MEV (Monooxygenation of Ethylene to Valuable chemicals) A highly shippable, safe, non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-flammable liquid platform biochemical that serves as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. Produced globally from biomass using Visolis's hybrid bio-thermocatalytic process, MEV matches the flexibility of crude oil with greater density and lower environmental impact, and can be used in distributed facilities near feedstock sources.
- Bio-Isoprene Monomers High-purity bio-based isoprene monomers produced from biomass through the MEV platform, used to create sustainable rubber materials including SIS block co-polymers. Developed for rubber and elastomer manufacturers and tire makers (such as Zeon Corporation and Goodyear) seeking bio-based alternatives to fossil-derived isoprene.
- AroSAF (Aromatics Sustainable Aviation Fuel) Sustainable aviation fuel produced using MEV technology that supplies the cycloalkanes and aromatics missing from most SAF, enabling 100% bio-based jet fuel that meets Jet-A standards without fossil blending. Targeted at aviation fuel producers and airlines seeking drop-in bio-based SAF.
- Non-Toxic Bio-Based Solvent A safe, biodegradable, non-flammable solvent designed to replace hazardous chemicals used in aircraft landing gear maintenance and coating removal. Matches conventional performance while eliminating health and environmental hazards. Targeted at the U.S. Department of Defense and military installations, with broader industrial applicability.
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase 1 validation confirmed technology exceeds incumbent products while maintaining safer profile
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Visolis
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Visolis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Visolis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Japanese Chemical ManufacturercoreA Japanese chemical manufacturer and Visolis signed a binding term sheet to strengthen collaboration on producing bio-based materials for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, moving closer to Final Investment Decision on a SAF production facility. The binding agreement replaces an earlier non-binding arrangement.
- GoodyearcoreGoodyear and Visolis announced collaboration on the production of isoprene by upcycling materials, enabling sustainable rubber production for tire manufacturing.
- Zeon CorporationcoreZeon Ventures made a seed investment in Visolis in 2022 and partnered to develop bio-isoprene monomers. The partnership produced the world's first SIS block co-polymer from 100% bio-isoprene. In April 2025, the companies announced plans to build a commercial bio-isoprene facility.
- U.S. Department of DefensecoreU.S. Department of Defense is piloting Visolis' non-toxic, biodegradable, non-flammable solvent to replace toxic products at military sites. The technology matches conventional performance while eliminating health and environmental hazards.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Visolis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LanzaTech: Carbon-negative gas-fermentation company producing ethanol that can be converted to SAF and chemicals; competes with Visolis in the bio-based SAF and platform-chemical space and has commercial-scale partnerships with major offtakers.
- Gevo: Renewable fuels and chemicals company developing low-carbon SAF and isobutanol/isooctane from biomass; directly comparable to Visolis in commercializing bio-based SAF drop-ins to jet fuel.
- Genomatica: Bio-based chemicals company licensing process technology to produce bio-based intermediates (e.g., bio-BDO, bio-butylene glycol) from sugars — directly comparable to Visolis' bio-based platform-chemical licensing model.
- Virent (a Marathon Petroleum subsidiary): Develops bio-based aromatic and jet fuel (BioForming) technology, including aromatics for SAF — directly comparable to Visolis' AroSAF in producing bio-based aromatics and jet fuel drop-ins.
Emerging players
- Solugen: Bio-based specialty chemicals producer using biocatalysis; an emerging player in industrial bio-based chemicals with a similar technology-platform approach to Visolis' MEV.
- Danimer Scientific: Producer of PHA bioplastics from bio-based feedstocks; an emerging player in the bio-based polymer/resin space that overlaps with Visolis' bio-isoprene polymer ambitions.
- Bloom Biorenewables: Developer of bio-based aldehyde chemistry for specialty chemicals and polymers; an emerging player in sustainable specialty chemicals with overlapping bio-based input chemistries to Visolis.
Broad incumbents
- Aemetis: Renewable diesel and SAF producer with commercial assets; a broader incumbent in low-carbon fuels that competes with Visolis for SAF offtake and policy-driven demand.
- Braskem: Major petrochemical incumbent producing bio-based polyethylene (I'm green) from sugarcane; a broad incumbent that competes with Visolis in bio-based drop-in polymers and platform chemicals.
Others
- Carbon Clean Solutions (Carbon Clean): Industrial carbon-capture technology provider for chemicals and energy; an adjacent thematic peer sharing the decarbonization-of-industrial-chemistry narrative that supports Visolis' market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Visolis social profiles
Digital presenceVisolis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Visolis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Visolis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Visolis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Visolis
What does Visolis do?
Visolis develops and produces bio-based chemicals and fuels through a proprietary hybrid bio-thermocatalytic platform. The company's flagship product is MEV, a non-toxic, biodegradable, non-flammable liquid platform chemical that serves as a drop-in replacement for petroleum-based fuels and chemicals. From MEV, Visolis commercializes specialized offerings including Bio-Isoprene Monomers for sustainable rubber, AroSAF Sustainable Aviation Fuel meeting Jet-A standards, and Non-Toxic Bio-Based Solvents for aircraft maintenance.
Is Visolis a public or private company?
Visolis is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Visolis founded?
Visolis was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Visolis based?
Visolis is headquartered in Hayward, United States, in the North America region.
How does Visolis make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Chemicals Platform (MEV) is the primary driver. The others are sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), bio-Based Materials (Isoprene, Solvents) and government Contracts.
Who are Visolis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LanzaTech, Gevo, Genomatica and Virent (a Marathon Petroleum subsidiary). Emerging players are Solugen, Danimer Scientific and Bloom Biorenewables. Broad incumbents are Aemetis and Braskem. Carbon Clean Solutions (Carbon Clean) is listed as an others.
Does Visolis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Visolis.
What industry is Visolis in?
Visolis's product category is Bio-based Chemicals and Fuels. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAAAIAB, Bio-based Solvents & Process Chemicals (e.g., bio-acetone, bio-butanol, bio-IPA, green solvents), with a secondary code of EUAAAIAG, Bio-based Resins, Adhesives, Coatings & Sealants. Its NAICS code is 325211 and its SIC code is 2860.