What Microvi Biotechnologies does

Microvi Biotechnologies is a private Hayward, California-based applied biotechnology company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes biocatalytic technologies built around its proprietary MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering) encapsulation platform. The platform encapsulates microbial strains in a protective, high-density biological matrix, converting fragile biology into modular, drop-in industrial systems that integrate directly into existing reactors and become operational within days. Microvi holds 50+ patents and trade secrets protecting the platform, which has been independently validated at scale by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for biomanufacturing applications.

The company sells its biosolutions as a permanent, living layer of industrial infrastructure across five verticals: Water & Wastewater (nitrogen removal, nutrient recovery, hexavalent chromium reduction below 5 ppb), Industrial Bioprocessing (higher-yield, lower-energy fermentation), Agriculture (biological fertilizer efficiency and nitrogen cycle optimization), Climate & Remediation (GHG reduction, PFAS degradation, circular resource recovery), and Energy & Resource Recovery (biological energy generation, nutrient recovery). The platform claims 5–10× smaller system footprint, 10× reduction in chemical consumption, ~50% lower energy use, and ~50% total cost savings versus conventional approaches. Microvi operates commercial plants in the United States and United Kingdom and reports 45+ global deployments.

Microvi operates an enterprise field sales model, with direct engagement with industrial operators and a recurring subscription revenue model for biosolutions. The company has raised approximately $8.87M across disclosed funding events from 2009 to 2025, with notable capital sources including NIH grants ($2.2M+ across 2021 and 2022), SKion (2015), Elemental Impact (2018), and The 22 Fund (2025), alongside a $5M equity round in 2014. The leadership team is led by founder Fatemeh Shirazi, PhD, who serves as CEO and CTO and personally holds 20 patents.

Name

Microvi Biotechnologies

Legal name

Microvi Biotech

Website

https://microvi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Microvi Biotechnologies develops and commercializes its proprietary MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering) encapsulation platform, converting microbial organisms into modular, drop-in industrial biosolutions for water treatment, bioprocessing, agriculture, climate remediation, and energy applications across 45+ global deployments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Biotechnology

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Chemical Manufacturing (325), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Enzymes & Industrial Biotechnology Inputs (Enzymes, Microbial Strains, Fermentation Aids) (EUAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Biocatalytic technology
• Industrial biotechnology
• Biological water treatment
• Environmental remediation solutions
• Encapsulated microbial systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Hayward

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Biosolutions Products: Microvi sells biosolutions, embedding biology as a permanent, living layer of industrial infrastructure. The company deploys its MNE™ technology platform as products/modules for water treatment, industrial bioprocessing, agriculture, climate remediation, and energy applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Microvi develops, manufactures, and commercializes biocatalytic products based on its proprietary MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering) encapsulation platform, which protects and structures living microbial organisms so they can be deployed as durable industrial systems. These biosolutions are applied across five verticals — water and wastewater treatment, industrial bioprocessing, agriculture, climate and environmental remediation, and energy and resource recovery — as modular, drop-in modules that integrate into existing reactors and infrastructure.

Product overview

Microvi Biotechnologies offers a unified platform-plus-application architecture centered on its proprietary MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering) platform. This core technology is an encapsulation system that protects and structures living organisms for industrial use. The platform is applied across multiple industry verticals through specialized application modules: Water & Wastewater Solutions (nitrogen removal, nutrient recovery), Industrial Bioprocessing Solutions (fermentation and chemical production), Agriculture Solutions (fertilizer efficiency, nitrogen optimization), Climate & Remediation Solutions (GHG reduction, PFAS degradation), and Energy & Resource Recovery Solutions (biological energy generation, nutrient recovery from waste).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering): Proprietary encapsulation technology that protects and structures living organisms — making them predictable, durable, and scalable across five critical industries including water, bioprocessing, agriculture, climate, and energy.

Products and services

• MNE™ (MicroNiche Engineering) Platform A proprietary encapsulation technology that creates a protective, high-density biological matrix with controlled mass transfer, converting fragile microbial strains into predictable, durable, and scalable industrial systems for enterprise customers.
• Water & Wastewater Solutions Biological systems for nitrogen removal, nutrient recovery, and regulatory compliance (including hexavalent chromium reduction to less than 5 ppb) in water and wastewater treatment facilities.
• Industrial Bioprocessing Solutions Biological catalysts for fermentation and chemical production offering higher yield, faster cycles, and lower energy consumption for industrial bioprocessing operators.
• Agriculture Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• 5–10× smaller system footprint versus conventional treatment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory independently validated the MNE™ technology at scale for biomanufacturing applications, providing scientific credibility and third-party verification of the platform's effectiveness.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• H2O Innovation: Water treatment systems integrator offering biological and membrane-based solutions to municipal and industrial customers. Comparable in target market and customer type to Microvi's water & wastewater segment.
• Aqseptence Group: Water and wastewater treatment technology provider with biological treatment solutions. Comparable in technology category to Microvi's MNE™ modules, though serving primarily European industrial water markets.

Broad incumbents

• Novozymes: Global leader in industrial enzymes and microbial solutions, directly comparable to Microvi's industrial biotechnology platform. Operates across similar end-markets (water, agriculture, bioenergy) but at vastly greater scale and with established customer relationships.
• Veolia Water Technologies: Dominant water treatment incumbent with full-service offerings including biological treatment. While not exclusively biotech-focused, Veolia competes for the same ~300,000 facilities Microvi targets in the Water & Wastewater vertical.
• DSM-Firmenich: Global ingredient and biotechnology company with industrial biotech offerings spanning agriculture, food, and sustainability. Comparable to Microvi's microbial-based platform across agriculture and bioprocessing verticals at far greater scale.
• Evoqua Water Technologies: Major water treatment company offering biological treatment systems for municipal and industrial customers. Competes with Microvi's MNE™ modules in the wastewater treatment vertical with broader portfolio offerings.

Direct peers

• Organica Biotech: Biological wastewater treatment company serving industrial and municipal customers with microbial solutions. Comparable in size and approach to Microvi's water & wastewater segment.
• Bion Environmental Technologies: Environmental biotechnology company applying biological systems to agricultural waste treatment and nutrient recovery. Comparable to Microvi's agriculture and climate/remediation verticals with similar biological infrastructure approach.
• Cambrian Innovation: Direct competitor using biological systems for industrial wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Targets overlapping water and industrial biotech customers with similar bio-based treatment solutions.
• Clean TeQ Water: Water treatment technology company using biological and advanced processes for industrial water applications. Comparable in scale and target market to Microvi's water vertical with similar customer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/microvi
• Xx.com/Microvibiotech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Microvi Biotechnologies