SIEV Technologies

What SIEV Technologies does

SIEV Technologies is a Fayetteville, Arkansas-based deep-tech startup founded in Fall 2020 by University of Arkansas professors Dr. Xianghong Qian and Dr. Ranil Wickramasinghe to commercialize a patented catalytic membrane technology for converting agricultural biomass waste into biochemicals. The core offering is a single-step, bolt-on reactor system that uses a custom catalyst and membrane to hydrolyze lignocellulosic biomass — including corn fiber, rice hulls, switchgrass, and pecan shells — into fermentable sugars and levulinic acid at conversion rates above 90%, without enzymes or chemical pretreatments. The technology is protected by granted patents in the United States (US 9339803B2, US 10118168B2) and the European Union (EP2773458B), and originated from a decade of NSF-funded membrane research at the University of Arkansas.

The company's business model and go-to-market are at an early commercialization stage. No pricing model, distribution channels, or paying customers are publicly disclosed. Outreach is conducted primarily through a company website and earned media, including University of Arkansas press and the April 2023 NWA Pitch Competition win hosted by the UA Membrane Lab. The contact page indicates openness to partnerships, consultations, and tailored service offerings, implying a direct, enterprise-oriented engagement motion rather than a scaled sales channel. The target customer segment is the bio-based chemicals industry — specifically producers seeking to displace fossil-derived inputs with biomass-derived fermentable sugars and levulinic acid while reducing organic waste streams to landfill.

Financially, SIEV operates on a lean base: 1-10 employees, headquarters and R&D at the Arkansas Research & Technology Park (700 W Research Center Blvd.), and its only disclosed capital is a $256,000 NSF small business award received in December 2021. There are no disclosed institutional venture investors, no revenue figures, and no commercial transactions on record. Day-to-day R&D is led by Director of R&D Angel Treat, working alongside the two co-founder co-inventors, signaling that the company is currently focused on technology maturation and grant-funded development rather than commercial scaling.

Name

SIEV Technologies

Legal name

SIEV Technologies

Website

https://sievtechnologies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SIEV Technologies is a Fayetteville, Arkansas startup that commercializes patented catalytic membrane technology to convert agricultural biomass waste — including corn fiber and rice hulls — into fermentable sugars and levulinic acid in a single-step process, serving the bio-based chemicals industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomass Conversion Technology

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Platform & Commodity Chemicals (e.g., bio-ethylene, bio-propylene, bio-BTX, bio-methanol) (EUAAAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biochemicals & Bio-based Platform Chemicals (cellulose sugars, lignin derivatives, organic acids) (IMAMALAB), Bio-based Solvents & Process Chemicals (e.g., bio-acetone, bio-butanol, bio-IPA, green solvents) (EUAAAIAB), Biorefinery Co-product Recovery, Purification & Separation (Downstream Processing Systems) (EUAAAIAN)

Keywords

• Catalytic membrane technology
• Biomass conversion
• Bio-based chemicals
• Lignocellulosic hydrolysis
• Biomass waste processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

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, Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

SIEV Technologies develops and commercializes a patented catalytic membrane technology that converts agricultural biomass waste (such as corn fiber, rice hulls, switchgrass, and pecan shells) into valuable biochemicals including fermentable sugars and levulinic acid. The process is a single-step bolt-on system that uses a custom catalyst and membrane to hydrolyze lignocellulosic biomass at upwards of 90% conversion, eliminating the need for enzymes or pretreatment steps. The offering targets the bio-based chemicals industry and is positioned for licensing, partnerships, and tailored solutions delivered to industrial customers.

Product overview

SIEV Technologies offers a single unified core product: its patented catalytic membrane technology developed at the University of Arkansas. This single-step bolt-on system converts biomass waste (corn fiber, rice hulls, switchgrass, pecan shells) into biochemicals like fermentable sugars and levulinic acid without requiring enzymes or pretreatments. The company commercializes this technology through custom catalyst and membrane offerings, achieving upwards of 90% conversion rates from agricultural waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalytic Membrane Technology

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ conversion rate from biomass waste like corn fiber and rice hulls in a single-step process
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of ArkansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIEV Technologies was founded based on a decade of dedicated research in membrane technology at the University of Arkansas. Co-founders Dr. Xianghong Qian (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Ranil Wickramasinghe (Department of Chemical Engineering) are professors at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Wickramasinghe leads the Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology (MAST) Center. The technology was developed through NSF-funded research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Renmatix: Renmatix developed the Plantrose supercritical hydrolysis process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars — the most direct technical analog to SIEV's single-step catalytic membrane hydrolysis. Both target C5/C6 sugars from non-food biomass as a feedstock for downstream biochemicals.
• ZeaChem: ZeaChem develops cellulosic biorefinery processes that convert biomass into bio-based chemicals (acetic acid, ethyl acetate) and fuels. Both companies pursue single-step or simplified routes from agricultural biomass to industrial chemicals rather than relying on conventional enzymatic hydrolysis.
• Vertimass: Vertimass licenses catalytic technology that upgrades biomass-derived alcohols into renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel blendstocks. Its catalytic upgrading step is functionally analogous to SIEV's catalytic membrane chemistry for converting biomass-derived intermediates into higher-value products.
• Cool Planet (now Resonant Technology): Cool Planet developed biomass-to-chemicals and carbon-sequestering soil technology, including catalytic conversion of agricultural residues. It overlaps with SIEV on feedstock (agricultural waste) and end-product (bio-based chemicals/carbon products), though it has pivoted several times.

Broad incumbents

• Virent (Marathon Petroleum subsidiary): Virent's BioForming process converts biomass-derived sugars into renewable aromatics and drop-in fuels, and is now backed by Marathon. It targets the same bio-based chemicals/fuels end-markets as SIEV, with a much larger balance sheet and integrated downstream buyer.
• LanzaTech: LanzaTech uses gas-fermenting acetogens to convert waste gases (and increasingly biomass-derived syngas) into ethanol and other chemicals via carbon capture. While the feedstock differs, it competes for the same sustainability-driven bio-based chemicals procurement budgets that SIEV targets.
• Genomatica: Genomatica develops engineered microbial processes to produce bio-based chemicals (e.g., butanediol, butylene glycol) from renewable feedstocks. It represents the alternative biology-first route competing with SIEV's chemocatalytic-membrane approach for the same renewable chemicals end-markets.

Emerging players

• Codexis: Codexis engineers enzymes and biocatalysts used in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing, including biomass-processing enzymes. It represents the enzyme-route competitive alternative to SIEV's enzyme-free catalytic membrane process.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siev-technologies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 SIEV Technologies