Acies Bio

What Acies Bio does

Acies Bio d.o.o. is a privately held Slovenian microbial biotechnology CDMO founded in 2006 in Ljubljana, operating a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization model that delivers end-to-end bioprocess development, scale-up, and pilot-scale contract manufacturing to industrial partners. The company serves 90+ customers across five verticals — agricultural biologicals (biocontrol, biostimulants, biofertilizers), food and feed ingredients, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals and APIs, and industrial biochemicals — with named enterprise partners including BASF, LG Chem, ADM, Protein Evolution, and EW Nutrition. Its technology stack centers on the proprietary SmartRoute™ workflow platform, which integrates algorithm-supported strain design, the SmartFluidics 2.0 ultra-high-throughput microfluidic screening system, GRAS/QPS-certified proprietary microbial chassis strains, and precision fermentation from 1 L to 10,000 L scales, complemented by full downstream processing at its pilot facility in Kamnik.

Acies Bio monetizes through three primary business models: contract biomanufacturing (CMO/CDMO services at multi-year, project-based contracts), co-development (joint technology and bioproduct development with industrial partners), and long-term R&D co-creation/licensing partnerships. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The portfolio includes the OneCarbonBio™ platform (CO2/methanol-to-chemicals, the company's flagship sustainability bet, validated by 2024 partnerships with BASF and LG Chem), Whey2Value (whey-to-vitamin B12 via a JV with EW Nutrition), the trans-zeatin platform (up to 100-fold cost reduction vs. synthetic cytokinins), and downstream products in functional proteins, sustainable lipids, RNA technologies, and biomaterials including resilin via the SmartResilin JV. Five patent families are filed-pending across these platforms.

The company is currently scaling its physical footprint: a new biomanufacturing facility featuring a 30 m³ bioreactor is under construction and is scheduled for completion in Q4 2026, doubling total fermentation capacity from ~35 m³ to 72 m³. Headcount stands at 100+ scientists including 25+ PhDs, and the company maintains a research collaboration with the University of Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty. Ownership includes a strategic minority stake held by ADM (acquired October 2021), with the founding scientific team — including CEO Štefan Fujs, Director Enej Kušcer, and R&D Director Gregor Kosec — retaining significant equity and operational control.

Name

Acies Bio

Legal name

Acies Bio d.o.o.

Website

https://aciesbio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Acies Bio is a Slovenian microbial biotechnology CDMO founded in 2006, offering end-to-end strain design, precision fermentation, and contract biomanufacturing services to 90+ industrial partners across agbio, food and feed, biomaterials, pharma, and industrial chemicals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biotechnology Contract Development and Manufacturing (CDMO)

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro primary industry

Drug Substance–Drug Product Integrated CDMO (HLAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biologics (mAbs/Recombinant Proteins) CDMO (HLAGABAC), Small-Molecule API & Intermediates CDMO (HLAGABAA)

Keywords

• Microbial biotechnology services
• Precision fermentation CDMO
• Synthetic biology platforms
• Bioprocess scale-up
• Contract biomanufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Biomanufacturing (CMO/CDMO): Acies Bio provides contract manufacturing services as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), producing bioproducts at its pilot facility for industrial partners across scales from 1L to 10,000L.
2. Co-Development: Joint development of technologies and bioproducts with industrial partners, typically through multi-year collaborative agreements where Acies Bio contributes its strain development, fermentation, and downstream processing expertise.
3. R&D Partnerships / Co-Creation: Long-term R&D partnerships with companies and research institutions, combining Acies Bio's SmartRoute platform with partners' market access and application expertise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Acies Bio operates as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) providing end-to-end microbial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and precision fermentation services to industrial partners. Its core offering centers on the proprietary SmartRoute™ platform, which integrates algorithm-assisted strain design, ultra-high-throughput microfluidic screening (SmartFluidics), and scalable fermentation (1L–10,000L) to develop and produce industrial biochemicals, functional proteins, sustainable lipids, RNA technologies, active pharmaceutical ingredients, AgBio solutions, biomaterials, and food & feed ingredients for more than 90 industrial partners.

Product overview

Acies Bio operates as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) specializing in microbial biotechnology, synthetic biology, and precision fermentation. The company's offering is structured around its proprietary SmartRoute™ platform—a lean R&D workflow that combines algorithm-supported strain design, automated microfluidics screening (SmartFluidics), and precision fermentation optimization. This core platform supports multiple technology platforms including Industrial Biochemicals, Functional Proteins, Sustainable Lipids, RNA Technologies, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, AgBio Solutions, Biomaterials, and Food & Feed Technologies. The portfolio includes flagship products like OneCarbonBio™ (methanol-to-protein conversion), Whey2Value (whey-to-vitamin B12), and trans-zeatin (natural cytokinin). Services span the entire value chain from strain development and bioprocess scale-up through downstream processing to contract biomanufacturing at scales up to 10 m³, supported by pilot facilities in Slovenia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OneCarbonBio: Platform for converting methanol and CO2-derived substrates into biochemicals and biomaterials using specialized microbial hosts
• Whey2Value
• SmartRoute
• SmartFluidics
• SmartResilin

Products and services

• Strain Development Service providing directed evolution and synthetic biology expertise to develop industrial microbial production strains for industrial partners across food, feed, pharma, and chemicals sectors.
• Bioprocess Development & Scale Up Service designing and optimizing bioprocesses for industrial scale, from small-scale laboratory processes to large-scale bioprocesses up to 10 m³ (10,000 L).
• Downstream Processing Service processing fermentation broth to final product using centrifugation, micro/ultra/nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, homogenization, evaporation, spray-drying, and crystallization operations.
• Contract Biomanufacturing End-to-end CDMO service providing biomanufacturing from laboratory bench through pilot scale to a technology-demonstration plant with 10,000 L (10 m³) fermentors.
• Analytical Support Service developing analytical methods for precise monitoring of all process steps in bioproduct development.
• SmartRoute™ Platform A lean R&D workflow platform that streamlines bioproject execution from ideation to production, combining algorithm-supported strain design, automated microfluidic ultra-high-throughput strain selection, and precision fermentation process optimization. Used internally to accelerate partner projects.
• Industrial Biochemicals Platform Microbial biotechnology platform for developing and scaling production of industrial biochemicals including fatty acids, fatty alcohols, amino acids, and biodegradable chemicals using precision fermentation and synthetic biology approaches.
• Functional Proteins Platform Platform for production of functional proteins using proprietary GRAS and QPS-certified host organisms, leveraging versatile SynBio tools for scalable and affordable protein production for food, feed, and pharmaceutical applications.
• Sustainable Lipids Platform Platform for developing microbial production systems for sustainable lipid production through precision fermentation, offering alternatives to fishmeal, soy, and other unsustainable lipid sources.
• RNA Technologies Platform Platform providing accessible RNAi technology that empowers researchers and partners to tackle overlooked pests through RNA interference solutions for crop protection applications.
• Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Platform Platform for development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients using microbial biotechnology and precision fermentation, supporting APIs, metabolite replacement therapies, and novel drug development.
• AgBio Solutions Platform Comprehensive agricultural biological solutions including biocontrol agents, biostimulants, and biofertilizers; cytokinin production (trans-zeatin), strain development using non-GMO approaches, and CMO services for agricultural biological products.
• Biomaterials Platform Platform for production of next-generation biomaterials including custom biopolymers, bio-based chemicals, and novel functional materials, including resilin-based materials developed in partnership with SmartResilin.
• Food & Feed Technologies Platform Platform addressing food stability through functional proteins, additives, sustainable lipids, bulk proteins, and whole-cell proteins, leveraging proprietary GRAS and QPS-certified host organisms and including the Whey2Value technology.
• OneCarbonBio™ Platform Synthetic biology platform that converts CO2-derived methanol into premium biochemicals, biodegradable plastics, and protein products (e.g., for animal feed), without requiring arable land or food-chain interference. Marketed as the first platform to fully leverage microbes to convert CO2 into diverse biochemicals.
• Whey2Value Technology Flagship technology that converts waste acid whey from the dairy industry into vitamin B12-enriched microbial biomass, completely non-GMO and cyanide-free, used as an additive to animal feed premixes via spray drying. Commercialized via a German-based joint venture with EW Nutrition.
• SmartFluidics 2.0 Microfluidic Screening Platform Ultra-high-throughput proprietary microfluidic platform enabling screening of millions of strains per week across diverse microorganisms, including larger eukaryotic cells, with multiple detection principles and modular design adaptable to specific research questions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 100-fold cost reduction in trans-zeatin production compared to synthetic cytokinin methods
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• LG ChemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2024LG Chem and Acies Bio partnered to advance sustainable production of chemicals using Acies Bio's OneCarbonBio microbial platform, which converts methanol into chemical raw materials.
• Protein EvolutioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2024Strategic partnership to advance biological recycling technology. Protein Evolution, a pioneer in enzyme-driven plastics recycling, collaborates with Acies Bio to develop enzymatic solutions for plastic degradation.
• BASFflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2024BASF partnered with Acies Bio to develop fermentation technology from methanol for production of fatty alcohols (ingredients for home and personal care markets, especially surfactants). The partnership leverages Acies Bio's OneCarbonBio platform and BASF's process development expertise and global market access.
• Smart ResilincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2023Acies Bio established a joint venture with Israeli company Smart Resilin to develop an industrial-scale technological process for producing resilin-based materials. Resilin is a highly flexible natural protein with applications in cosmetics, apparel, electronics, and other industries. The joint venture was featured in European Biotechnology magazine.
• BIOREFINE 4.0 ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2020Biotechnological platform for production of natural compounds based on biomethanol, co-funded by Republic of Slovenia and European Regional Development Fund. Goal: first-ever platform for amino acids and high-value products from biomethanol.
• BioVexo ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2020BBI-JU co-founded project BioVexo: a consortium of Pan-European research institutions providing biobased solutions for management of Xylella fastidiosa pathogen affecting olive trees in the Mediterranean region.
• Imperial College London (Dr. Ledesma-Amaro, Dept. of Bioengineering)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2020Collaboration in EraCoBio co-founded project SyCoLim to develop synthetic biology tools and strains of Yarrowia lipolytica and Pseudomonas putida for production of limonene-based products grown on waste glycerol.
• EW nutrition (Whey2Value JV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2018Acies Bio and EW nutrition established Whey2Value, a German-based joint venture to commercialize technology converting waste acid whey from dairy industry into vitamin B12-enriched microbial biomass for animal feed. The JV received a 1.7 million EUR H2020 SME INST Phase 2 grant.
• SUSFERT Consortium (Horizon 2020 / CBE JU)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2018Five-year Horizon 2020/CBE JU project developing novel bio-based fertilizers integrating biodegradable coatings, probiotics, and struvite for phosphorus and iron supply. Acies Bio upgraded its fermentation facility to produce rhodotorulic acid as an iron chelator.
• IBBTEC / University of Cantabria / Grupo SodercanminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2012Acies Bio co-funded a new Augusto González Linares (AGL) research group at IBBTEC focused on drug discovery, particularly novel anti-infectives and anticancer drugs, as part of the Campus of International Excellence project.
• University of Ljubljana (Biotechnical Faculty)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 February 2012General collaboration agreement enabling senior Acies Bio researchers to serve as lecturers in biotechnology programs and provide laboratory access for student practice and research. Joint basic and applied research projects.
• East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2011Strategic partnership signed in 2011 for joint research projects and to establish Acies Bio's presence in Chinese markets and create opportunities for collaboration with the Chinese pharmaceutical industry.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LanzaTech: Closest direct peer — LanzaTech operates a gas-fermentation platform that converts CO2 and industrial gases (including methanol-adjacent feedstocks) into fuels and chemicals using engineered microbes. Highly comparable to Acies Bio's OneCarbonBio platform and fermentation CDMO model.
• Conagen: Precision fermentation CDMO that develops microbial production strains and scales bioproducts across food, beauty, pharma, and industrial chemicals. Closely mirrors Acies Bio's integrated strain-to-manufacturing service offering and customer verticals.
• Culture Biosciences: Cloud-based fermentation CRO/CDMO providing bioreactor services from screening to pilot scale. Comparable in serving industrial biotech customers with outsourced microbial bioprocess development and small-to-mid scale manufacturing.
• Bota Bio: Synthetic biology CDMO offering end-to-end strain engineering and fermentation services to industrial customers. Operates with a comparable horizontal platform serving food, chemicals, and materials applications similar to Acies Bio's platform breadth.
• c-LEcta (Kerry Group): Industrial biotechnology company (acquired by Kerry Group) providing enzyme engineering and biocatalysis CDMO services for pharmaceutical, food, and industrial applications. Comparable to Acies Bio's strain development and bioprocess optimization services.
• Enzymicals AG: German-based biocatalysis and enzyme CDMO serving fine chemicals, pharma, and food ingredients. Comparable European-headquartered industrial biotech CDMO with similar scale and customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Ginkgo Bioworks: Synthetic biology foundry offering cell programming and biomanufacturing services across diverse end markets. Larger and more broadly diversified than Acies Bio, but addresses the same customer need (outsourced microbial strain and process development) with an asset-light platform model.
• Codexis: Public protein engineering company developing novel enzymes and bioprocesses for pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Larger and more pharma-focused, but its enzyme engineering and strain development services are comparable to Acies Bio's strain improvement platform.

Emerging players

• Carbios: French biotech developing enzymatic recycling of PET plastics, directly relevant given Acies Bio's Protein Evolution partnership in biological plastics recycling. Overlapping technology domain but a different stage and end-product focus.

Others

• Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant: European pilot-scale biorefinery facility offering contract process development, scale-up, and manufacturing services for biobased products. Comparable service offering as a CDMO infrastructure partner, particularly relevant given Acies Bio's European base and EU grant funding profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2857169
• Xx.com/AciesBio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Acies Bio