Citroniq

What Citroniq does

Citroniq is a Houston, Texas-based polymer decarbonization company developing carbon-negative, 100% bio-based polypropylene under the OrganiqPP® brand. Founded in 2020, the company operates a proprietary E2O (Ethanol-to-Olefins) process that converts corn-based ethanol into polypropylene using Lummus Technology's Verdene PP technology suite (ethanol-to-ethylene, dimer, olefins conversion, and polypropylene technologies). Citroniq's planned first commercial-scale manufacturing facility in Nebraska is sized at 600,000 tonnes per year, scheduled to begin operations in 2029 with claimed capacity to capture three million tonnes of CO2 per year and permanently sequester it as solid pellets. The company is also developing a Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credit line on its BiCRS platform, validated via ASTM D6866 testing.

The company targets industrial polypropylene buyers across automotive (PP is roughly 32% of auto plastic use), food and beverage packaging, consumer goods, medical supplies, fibers and fabrics, and industrial chemical applications, positioning OrganiqPP as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based PP with claimed superior purity, isotacticity above 97%, +/-0.5 g/10 min MFI consistency, and FDA/EU food-contact compliance. Citroniq's go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales to compounders, molders, and converters with channel partnerships for global distribution: a 15-year binding offtake with Premier Product Marketing (Vinmar) covers 50% of planned Nebraska facility capacity, and a Letter of Intent with Mitsui Plastics anchors Japan and global reach. Marketing is primarily B2B through LinkedIn, press releases, industry events, and CEO podcast appearances, with no consumer-facing channel.

Citroniq is privately held and pre-revenue. The company has raised $12 million in a September 2024 Series A led by an unnamed multi-national energy technology company with co-investment from Lummus Technology Ventures and partnership with the State of Nebraska. Co-founders Kelly Knopp (CEO, 40+ years at NOVA Chemicals, Williams, Koch, Phillips 66) and Mel Badheka (President, 30+ years across Halliburton, Envision, Guardhat) lead a four-person executive team. Strategic plan disclosed to investors covers a four-plant platform with combined capacity exceeding 3.5 billion pounds of PP per year and projected investment over $5 billion.

Name

Citroniq

Legal name

Citroniq LLC

Website

https://citroniq.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Citroniq is a Houston-based pre-revenue company developing carbon-negative, 100% bio-based polypropylene (OrganiqPP) from corn ethanol using a proprietary E2O process, targeting automotive, packaging, and industrial buyers via its planned Nebraska manufacturing facility and global channel partners Vinmar and Mitsui.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Plastics Manufacturing

NAICS

Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Petrochemical Manufacturing (325110)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Polymers & Bioplastics (e.g., PLA, PHA, bio-PE/PP/PET, PBS) (EUAAAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polyolefins (PE, PP) (IMAEADAD), Bio-based & Biodegradable Polymer Resin Manufacturing (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMANANAA)

Keywords

• Bio-polypropylene manufacturing
• Carbon-negative plastics
• Sustainable polypropylene
• Ethanol-to-olefins processing
• Green polymer production

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. OrganiqPP Polypropylene Sales: Revenue generated from selling carbon-negative bio-polypropylene (OrganiqPP) to industrial customers including compounders, molders, converters, automotive manufacturers, packaging companies, and consumer goods producers. 15-year binding offtake agreement with Premier Product Marketing secures 50% of planned Nebraska facility capacity.
2. Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Credits: CDR credits generated from permanent CO2 removal through BiCRS (Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage) platform. Credits are MRV-compliant, backed by ASTM D6866 testing, and sold per ton of measurable carbon removal for integration into customer ESG and Net-Zero strategies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Citroniq manufactures and sells OrganiqPP®, a 100% bio-based, carbon-negative polypropylene produced from corn-based ethanol through its proprietary E2O (Ethanol-to-Olefins) process. OrganiqPP® is designed as a drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based polypropylene, with superior purity, consistency and performance, targeting industrial compounders, molders, converters, automotive manufacturers, packaging producers and consumer goods companies. The company also monetizes Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits generated from permanent CO₂ sequestration in the solid plastic pellets, providing verifiable carbon removal units for customers' ESG and net-zero strategies.

Product overview

Citroniq operates as a next-generation bio-polypropylene platform with a single core product line centered on OrganiqPP®, a carbon-negative, 100% bio-based polypropylene produced from corn-based ethanol via its proprietary E2O (Ethanol-to-Olefins) process. The platform includes dedicated manufacturing hubs (starting with the Nebraska facility at 600,000 tonnes/year capacity), Lummus Verdene™ PP technology licensing, and CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) credits derived from permanent CO2 sequestration in plastic pellets. OrganiqPP® serves as a drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based polypropylene, with dedicated green production that does not comingle with conventional output.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OrganiqPP®: Carbon-negative bio-polypropylene product produced from sustainable biogenic feedstocks using the E2O process. 100% bio-based, chemically identical to conventional PP with superior purity, consistency, and performance. Serves as a drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based polypropylene.

Products and services

• OrganiqPP® Carbon-Negative Bio-Polypropylene Carbon-negative, 100% bio-based polypropylene produced from corn-based ethanol using Citroniq's proprietary E2O process and Lummus Verdene™ PP technology suite. Positioned as a drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based polypropylene for compounders, molders, converters, automotive OEMs, packaging producers and consumer goods manufacturers. ASTM D6866-verifiable biogenic carbon content, with planned ISCC Plus, USDA BioPreferred and B Corp certifications.
• Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Credits Carbon Dioxide Removal credits generated from the BiCRS (Biomass Carbon Removal & Storage) platform, where CO₂ is permanently sequestered in solid OrganiqPP® pellets. MRV-compliant and backed by ASTM D6866 testing, sold per ton of measurable carbon removal to integrate into corporate ESG and Net-Zero strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ tons of CO2 permanently sequestered per year per plant
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Premier Product Marketing (Vinmar company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 202615-year binding offtake agreement for OrganiqPP carbon-negative polypropylene representing 50% of planned capacity of Citroniq's Nebraska manufacturing facility. Premier Product Marketing handles global marketing and distribution of the material, which serves as a drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based polypropylene. Signals accelerating market adoption of biogenic and carbon-negative materials at industrial scale.
• ABBcoreTechnology or Integration · 26 August 2025Supply agreement for advanced automation, electrification, and digitalization solutions for 100% biogenic polypropylene facility in Nebraska. ABB provides ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control system, advanced process control, digital simulation, electrical equipment, instrumentation, and engineering services. Facility scheduled to start operating in 2029 as world's first full commercial-scale biogenic PP plant of its kind.
• Lummus TechnologycoreTechnology or Integration · 9 November 2023Licensing and engineering agreements for green polypropylene plants using Lummus' Verdene PP technology suite (ethanol to ethylene, dimer, olefins conversion, and polypropylene technologies). First plant scheduled for completion in 2027, producing 400kta of bio-polypropylene. Citroniq signed four-plant licensing agreement. Lummus is global leader in licensing PP technology and only provider able to supply all proven technologies for renewable green PP from biogenic ethanol.
• Lummus TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2023Initial Letter of Intent signed for development of green polypropylene projects in North America using Lummus' Verdene PP technology suite. Partnership aims to create first world-scale sustainable bio-polypropylene production process in North America. Projected investment over US $5 billion with combined PP annual capacity of over 3.5 billion pounds.
• Mitsui Plastics, Inc.strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 January 2023Letter of Intent for large-scale supply agreement for sustainable polypropylene. Alliance marks beginning of long-term partnership to provide customers with global-scale supplies of drop-in sustainable resins. MPI is wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), serving plastics and chemical industries with diverse portfolio of quality materials.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Braskem: Brazil-based petrochemical major and the global leader in bio-based polyolefins, producing I'm green bio-PE from sugarcane ethanol. Braskem is the closest direct competitor to Citroniq in renewable polyolefins, and is widely expected to expand into bio-polypropylene.
• NatureWorks: Manufacturer of Ingeo PLA, a bio-based polymer made from plant sugars. Operates a world-scale facility in Nebraska (Cargill joint venture history) and is the most established commercial-scale bioplastics specialist, making it a direct functional analog for Citroniq's bio-resin platform.
• TotalEnergies Corbion: Joint venture producing Luminy PLA from sugarcane. Serves the same packaging, automotive, and consumer goods end-markets as Citroniq's OrganiqPP, making it a direct peer in bio-based resins for durable applications.

Emerging players

• Danimer Scientific: Producer of Nodax PHA, a bio-based and biodegradable polymer. While PHA is a different chemistry, Danimer operates a similar model of selling bio-based resin as a drop-in or alternative to conventional plastics, with comparable customer discovery and certification challenges.
• Novamont: Italian bioplastics company producing Mater-Bi (biodegradable) and bio-based intermediates. Comparable as a smaller bio-based materials challenger targeting packaging and durables with sustainability premium positioning.

Broad incumbents

• LyondellBasell: One of the world's largest polypropylene producers and a leader in circular polymers. Its CirculenRenew portfolio includes bio-based and recycled PP grades, making it a broad incumbent competing directly with Citroniq's product across all target end-markets.
• INEOS Group: Major global polyolefins producer with PP and PE capacity. INEOS has signaled interest in bio-attributed and circular polyolefins, making it a broad incumbent that could compete with Citroniq on sustainability-premium PP volumes.
• BASF: Global chemicals giant with a broad bioplastics and bio-based intermediates portfolio (including ecovio and biomass-balanced plastics). Overlap with Citroniq lies in the bio-based polyolefins and sustainable plastics opportunity for industrial customers.
• Borealis (ADNOC/OMV): Major polyolefins producer with a circular and bio-based portfolio (Borceed). The Bornewables product line (bio-based PP/PE) is a direct substitute for Citroniq's OrganiqPP across automotive and packaging end-uses.
• ExxonMobil: One of the largest petrochemical producers globally, including PP. ExxonMobil has invested in lower-emission process technologies and bio-based feedstocks, making it a potential competitor or partner as PP demand shifts toward lower-carbon options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citroniq-chemicals

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Citroniq