DND Biotech

What DND Biotech does

DND Biotech srl is an Italian biotechnology company headquartered in Pisa that develops bio-based technologies for the remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater. The company's core offering centers on bioremediation processes using autochthonous (native) microbial communities selected directly from contaminated matrices, supported by metagenomic analysis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics. Its flagship proprietary technology is ROBONOVA®, a mobile pilot plant system housed in a 40-inch industrial container that enables ex-situ bioremediation testing via aerobic oxidative processes, equipped with a bioreactor, automated auger machine, water tank, microbial inoculation instrumentation, emission monitoring, and leachate treatment. The portfolio is extended by prototype technologies including bio-flushing hydraulic circuits, permeable reactive barriers combining modified zeolite with inoculated capsules, and full-scale engineering design services for commercial remediation interventions.

The company serves industrial contaminated site owners (petrochemical, manufacturing, and other operators with hydrocarbon, PAH, PCB, and chlorinated solvent contamination) as the primary customer segment, with secondary exposure to agricultural operators (vineyards via the ZeoWine project) and European research institutions participating in collaborative R&D. Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services (laboratory and pilot biodegradation testing, engineering and scale-up design) and product sales (site-specific microbial biomass for bioaugmentation, ZEOCELITALIA-branded natural and modified clinoptilolite zeolite products for agriculture, pet care, livestock, and filtration). Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with go-to-market executed via consultative direct enterprise sales, participation in EU research programs (Horizon Europe MIBIREM consortium, POR FESR Toscana, Fondazione Pisa), industry event presence (AQUACONSOIL, REMTECH EXPO, POLLUTEC, ECOMONDO), and country-specific sales representation across Italy, France, Spain, and Türkiye.

The company is privately held and operates as an innovative SME under Italian law, with a 12-person team including CEO and Founder Cosimo Masini. Its intellectual property is anchored by Italian patent No. 0001416158 (granted May 22, 2015) covering the enhanced bioremediation technique using autochthonous microbial and fungal populations. The company holds ISO 9001 and FAMIQS certifications and has demonstrated biodegradation results compliant with Italian Decree Legislative 152/2006 residential and industrial use thresholds. International expansion includes deployment of ROBONOVA 2.0 to Kuwait in June 2022 for Gulf War-contaminated site assessment and a partnership with France's CRISALID sustainable development research center established in July 2022.

Name

DND Biotech

Legal name

DND Biotech srl

Website

https://dndbiotech.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DND Biotech is an Italian biotechnology company that develops bio-based bioremediation technologies, including the proprietary ROBONOVA mobile pilot plant and site-specific microbial biomass production, to remediate contaminated soils and groundwater for industrial, agricultural, and research customers across Europe and the Middle East.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bioremediation Services

NAICS

Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Fertilizer and Compost Manufacturing (32531)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Agricultural Chemicals (2870), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Bioremediation & Phytoremediation (Enhanced Bioremediation, Natural Attenuation) (EUAIALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM), Biofertilizers & Microbial Inoculants (IMAEAEAG), Bio-based Fertilizers, Soil Amendments & Biostimulants (Digestate-derived, biochar-based inputs) (EUAAAIAH), Biochar & Carbon-Based Soil Builders (AFABAKAG)

Keywords

• Soil bioremediation services
• Contaminated site remediation
• Microbial bioaugmentation
• Metagenomic analysis services
• Zeolite filtration products

Headquarters

HQ city

Pisa

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Laboratory Biodegradation Testing Services: Laboratory and pilot-scale biodegradation testing services to assess degradability of site-specific contaminants and identify optimal treatment conditions. First step in customer engagement for contaminated site remediation projects.
2. Pilot Plant Services (ROBONOVA): On-site deployment of mobile ROBONOVA pilot plant for ex-situ soil bioremediation testing, bridging laboratory research and full-scale commercial application. Provides essential data flow on process parameters, degradation kinetics, and environmental impact.
3. Custom Biomass Production and Supply: Production and supply of site-specific microbial populations (bacterial and fungal cultures) for bioaugmentation purposes. Cultures are produced from the client's contaminated matrix, enriched and isolated for specific contaminant degradation capabilities.
4. Engineering and Scale-up Design: Engineering design services for large-scale bioremediation plants, including preliminary feasibility studies, final remediation intervention design, and executive project development based on laboratory and pilot-scale data.
5. Zeolite Products (ZEOCELITALIA Brand): Production and distribution of natural and modified clinoptilolite zeolite products under the ZEOCELITALIA commercial brand. Applications include water filtration, agriculture, pet care, livestock, and industrial filtration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DND Biotech provides bioremediation services and technologies for the treatment of contaminated soils and groundwater. The company develops and deploys biological remediation protocols using autochthonous (native) microbial communities selected directly from contaminated matrices, supported by a proprietary mobile pilot plant (ROBONOVA®), laboratory biodegradation testing, site-specific biomass production for bioaugmentation, and metagenomic analysis using next-generation sequencing. The company also produces and distributes natural and modified clinoptilolite zeolite products under the ZEOCELITALIA brand for filtration, agriculture, pet, livestock, and industrial applications.

Product overview

DND Biotech is a bioremediation technology company offering a comprehensive portfolio of biological soil remediation solutions. The core offering centers on ROBONOVA®, a mobile pilot plant system for ex-situ bioremediation, complemented by laboratory biodegradation testing services, site-specific biomass production for bioaugmentation, and metagenomics analysis for microbial community characterization. Supporting technologies include bioaugmentation, bio-flushing, and permeable reactive barriers (PRB) for various remediation scenarios. The company also commercializes zeolite products under the ZEOCELITALIA brand for water filtration and agricultural applications. Research initiatives including ZeoWine, MIBIREM (Horizon Europe), and Bio.Res.Nova further extend the portfolio with specialized applications for vineyard soil management, microbiome-based remediation, and humic substance synthesis for degraded soils.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ZEOCEL ITALIA: Brand for zeolite products for agriculture, pets, livestock, filtration, and industry applications.

Products and services

• ROBONOVA® Mobile Pilot Plant Mobile pilot plant system that models on-site or ex-situ bioremediation technology, exploiting aerobic oxidative processes operated by microorganisms using organic contaminants as carbon and energy source. Used by industrial site owners, remediation contractors, and research institutions to bridge laboratory research with full-scale commercial application.
• Biodegradation Tests Laboratory and pilot-scale biodegradation testing services to determine whether site contaminants can be biologically degraded and to identify optimal treatment conditions. Tests can be conducted on soil and groundwater under aerobic or anoxic conditions, measuring impacts of biostimulation and bioaugmentation. Targeted at industrial site owners, environmental consultants, and remediation project managers.
• Biomass Production Production and supply of site-specific microbial populations (bacterial and fungal cultures) for bioaugmentation purposes. Cultures are produced from the client's contaminated matrix (soil or water), enriched and isolated for specific contaminant degradation capabilities. Targeted at site owners and remediation contractors requiring tailored microbial inocula.
• Metagenomics Analysis Metagenomics analysis of soil microbial communities (bacteria, archaea, fungi) to characterize them taxonomically and functionally and define biodegradation capabilities. Uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) and metabarcoding followed by bioinformatics analysis. Targeted at researchers, environmental consultancies, and remediation project teams.
• Engineering and Pilot Design Engineering solutions to scale bioremediation technologies from laboratory to contaminated site, including preliminary feasibility studies, final design of bioremediation interventions, and executive projects for large-scale engineering. Targeted at industrial clients, government entities, and engineering firms executing remediation projects.
• ZEOCELITALIA Zeolite Products Commercial product line of natural and modified clinoptilolite zeolite products developed and distributed under the ZEOCELITALIA brand. Applications include water filtration, soil improvement, agriculture, pet care, livestock care, and industrial filtration. Targeted at agricultural businesses, filtration distributors, and industrial buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Biodegradation processes can achieve organic contaminant concentration reduction compatible with residential and industrial use limits per Italian Decree Legislative 152/2006

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MIBIREM Consortium (Horizon Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023DND Biotech was selected as partner in the MIBIREM project under Horizon Europe, the EU framework program for research and innovation (2021-2027). This multidisciplinary project involves experts in molecular biology, microbiology, environmental engineering, analytical chemistry, and project management. The objective is exploiting microbiomes for sustainable and cost-effective remediation of diffuse widespread contamination, particularly petroleum hydrocarbons, HCH pesticides, and cyanures. DND Biotech provides expertise in bioremediation and is responsible for optimization and pilot implementation of selected microorganisms for contaminant elimination from polluted soils.
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian National Research Council, listed as a research institution partner collaborating with DND Biotech on environmental biotechnology research and bioremediation technology development.
• University of PisacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating on bioremediation research projects, including the Bio.Res.Nova project coordinated by the Department of Biology.
• Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies (Pisa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvanced research institute partnership for collaborative research in environmental biotechnology and bioremediation technologies.
• Politecnico di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical university partnership for environmental engineering research collaboration.
• University of TurinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for environmental science and biotechnology research.
• University of NaplesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for environmental biotechnology research.
• University of FlorenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for environmental science and bioremediation research.
• CRISALID (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDND Biotech with ROBONOVA 2.0 became partner of CRISALID, the first research center on sustainable development in France. Partnership involves the mobile laboratory ROBONOVA 2.0 for work in partnership with the French Center for soil bioremediation.
• ZeoWine Project (EU Co-funded)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU co-financed project aimed at improving soil management and protection in vineyards, promoting vine well-being, and increasing grape and wine quality through application of ZeoWine soil conditioner (clinoptilolite zeolite combined with compost from winery waste).
• Terra Next Acceleration ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDND Biotech was selected as one of the first 8 startups to participate in the first edition of Terra Next, an acceleration program for startups and innovative SMEs operating in the bioeconomy sector.
• Zeocel ItaliacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDND Biotech develops and distributes zeolite-based products under its own commercial brand ZEOCELITALIA, serving sectors including agriculture, pet care, livestock, filtration, and industry.
• NTA-TSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner company in DND Biotech's partnership network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with a sizeable contaminated-site remediation practice across Europe. Comparable as a broad incumbent that often acts as prime contractor on brownfield redevelopment projects where bioremediation is one of several toolkits deployed.
• Veolia Environmental Services: Global environmental services group with a dedicated soil and groundwater remediation business. Comparable as a broad incumbent that includes biological treatment alongside chemical, thermal, and physical technologies in integrated site cleanups.
• SITA Remediation (Suez): Broad environmental services arm of Suez, offering engineered and biological remediation of contaminated sites. Comparable as a larger competitor with the ability to bundle bioremediation with other treatment technologies and EU-wide permitting services.

Direct peers

• TRS Group: Specialist in in-situ and ex-situ remediation of contaminated soil, including thermal and biological treatment options. Comparable as a mid-sized remediation specialist that competes for the same industrial site-owner customers.
• EOS Remediation: Manufacturer of slow-release electron donors and biostimulation products for in-situ bioremediation of chlorinated solvents and hydrocarbons. Closely comparable technology positioning and customer base to DND Biotech's bioaugmentation/biostimulation platform.
• Regenesis: US-based provider of advanced bioremediation products and injection technologies for contaminated soil and groundwater. Directly comparable as a specialist in biological remediation using tailored microbial and substrate-based solutions, serving many of the same industrial site-owner customers.

Emerging players

• Bioclear Earth: European bioaugmentation and microbial solutions provider for soil and groundwater remediation. Comparable as a smaller, science-led peer focused on tailored microbial consortia for site-specific contaminant degradation.
• Bioren GmbH: European bioremediation and bio-process engineering firm focused on hydrocarbon- and PAH-contaminated sites. Comparable as a niche player applying tailored microbial solutions to complex site cleanups.

Regional players

• Idroricerche (HTR Group): Italian environmental services and remediation company with strong domestic presence in soil and groundwater treatment. Comparable as a regional Italian competitor offering competing remediation solutions to the same industrial site-owner customers.
• GEO Soil: Italian environmental engineering and remediation firm providing site characterization, soil treatment, and contaminated-groundwater services. Comparable as a regional Italian peer competing for the same industrial remediation contracts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dndbiotech
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvFCjXredRp-j3n4S7A_90Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/dndbiotech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dndbiotech
• Instagraminstagram.com/dndbiotech

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 DND Biotech