Micro Bio Factory

What Micro Bio Factory does

Micro Bio Factory Inc. (マイクロバイオファクトリー株式会社) is a Japanese synthetic biology startup founded in August 2018 by Masashi Shimizu, headquartered in Osaka, Japan. The company develops microbial fermentation processes using engineered "smart cell" microorganisms to produce bio-based chemicals from renewable plant biomass, targeting replacements for petroleum-derived chemical synthesis. Its product portfolio spans three platform chemicals — bio-indigo dye, hydroxytyrosol (an olive-derived antioxidant), and cis,cis-muconic acid (a precursor for bio-based nylon, PET, and polyurethane) — plus the EnzyBlue recycled indigo dye line, which recovers dye from denim waste fibers under a registered basic patent. The company operates as a B2B technology licensor and contract R&D provider, supplying apparel brands (e.g., EDWIN Co., Ltd. for the EnzyBlue limited-edition release), cosmetics and adhesives firms, and chemical/resin manufacturers.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) chemical product sales including bio-indigo, hydroxytyrosol, and muconic acid produced through its own fermentation processes; (2) licensing and technology transfer to established chemical companies via royalty arrangements, joint ventures, or spin-off entities; and (3) contract and joint R&D services related to useful microorganism development and cultivation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured as custom B2B quotes. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales focused on co-development partnerships with major Japanese chemical distributors — most notably a 2025 joint development agreement with Nagase Sangyo and OG Nagase Color Chemical to commercialize EnzyBlue — supplemented by participation in startup competitions, academic conferences (Japan Society for Biotechnology, Japan Textile Machinery Society, JACI), and earned media coverage. The company explicitly positions itself as a bridge between Japanese academic research and industrial commercialization.

Micro Bio Factory is privately held, founder-controlled, with a single disclosed equity capital increase in May 2020 (third-party allocation to Japan Materials Technology Research; amount undisclosed) and no identified institutional venture or private equity investors. The capital structure is supplemented by non-dilutive government funding: NEDO NEP adoption (2019), Ministry of Environment TJ Lab (2020), Environmental Conservation Research Grant (2022), Hiroshima Sandbox adoption (2022), Osaka Prefecture innovation grant (2020), and the METI Global Fashion IP Creation program (2025). Operating geographies are concentrated in Kansai/Osaka with no claimed global footprint; the EDWIN and Kering engagement represent the company's primary international brand exposure.

Name

Micro Bio Factory

Legal name

マイクロバイオファクトリー株式会社

Website

https://microbiofactory.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Micro Bio Factory is a Japanese synthetic biology startup (founded 2018, Osaka) that develops microbial fermentation technology to produce bio-based chemicals — bio-indigo, hydroxytyrosol, muconic acid, and recycled EnzyBlue dye — serving apparel, cosmetics, adhesives, and resin manufacturers via B2B licensing and co-development partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bio-based Specialty Chemicals

NAICS

Chemical Manufacturing (325), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Bio-based indigo dye
• Microbial fermentation chemicals
• Synthetic biology manufacturing
• Recycled denim dye
• Biomass-based chemicals

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Product Sales: Sale of bio-based chemical products including indigo dye, hydroxytyrosol, and muconic acid produced through microbial fermentation
2. Licensing and Technology Transfer: Licensing of developed technologies to established chemical companies and事业 companies; technology transfer through joint ventures or spin-off companies
3. Contracted R&D Services: Joint research and contracted R&D services related to useful microorganism development and cultivation

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Micro Bio Factory develops, produces, and sells bio-based chemicals manufactured by microorganisms using proprietary smart-cell synthetic-biology fermentation from renewable plant biomass. Its core offerings include Bio Indigo (a microbially produced indigo dye for apparel), Hydroxytyrosol (an olive-derived antioxidant for cosmetics and adhesives), cis,cis-Muconic Acid (a platform chemical for bio-based nylon, PET, and polyurethane), and EnzyBlue (a patented recycled indigo dye recovered from denim waste fibers). The company also provides contract and joint R&D services for useful microorganism development, microbial fermentation-based product development, and new business launch support/consulting.

Product overview

Micro Bio Factory operates as a synthetic biology company developing and commercializing biochemicals produced through smart cell (engineered microorganism) fermentation. The core product portfolio consists of three main biochemicals: Bio Indigo (a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based indigo dye for apparel), Hydroxytyrosol (an antioxidant for cosmetics and adhesive applications), and cis,cis-Muconic Acid (a platform chemical for biomass-based resins). The company also commercialized EnzyBlue, a recycled indigo dye brand derived from denim waste fiber recovery. Services include contract and joint R&D, production and sales of microbial fermentation products, and technical verification to bridge academic research with industrial applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EnzyBlue (エンジーブルー): Recycled indigo dye produced from denim waste fibers using the company's proprietary enzyme technology. Jointly developed with Nagase Co., Ltd. and OG Nagase Color Chemical Co., Ltd., and used in jeans manufactured by EDWIN.

Products and services

• Bio Indigo (微生物インディゴ) Indigo dye produced through microbial fermentation using synthetic-biology technology, converting sugars into indigo pigment as an alternative to petroleum-based chemical synthesis. Primarily used as a dye for apparel products.
• Hydroxytyrosol (ヒドロキシチロソール) Antioxidant compound originally found in olives, produced through microbial fermentation using synthetic biology. Under development for use as a cosmetic ingredient and as a raw material for adhesives and functional polymers leveraging its catechol-group properties.
• cis,cis-Muconic Acid Chemical compound produced via microbial fermentation that can be converted through chemical transformation into adipic acid, terephthalic acid, and 1,6-hexanediol, serving as raw materials for general-purpose resins (nylon, PET, polyurethane) and supporting biomass conversion for carbon neutrality.
• EnzyBlue Recycled Indigo Dye (エンジーブルー) Recycled indigo dye brand produced from denim waste fibers using the company's patented enzyme-based recovery technology, enabling circular-economy apparel manufacturing. Developed and produced jointly with Nagase Co., Ltd. and OG Nagase Color Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Contract R&D and Joint Research Services (受託・共同研究開発) R&D, production, and sales of chemical products using microorganisms; development and sales of useful microorganisms; contract and joint R&D for microorganism development and culture; product development using microbial fermentation products; new-business launch support and consulting for partners across academia and industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• World's first bio-indigo jeans produced
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Nagase Sangyo Co., Ltd. (長瀬産業株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Joint development of recycled indigo dye EnzyBlue from denim waste fibers, combining Micro Bio Factory's patented recovery technology with Nagase's chemical distribution capabilities.
• OG Nagase Color Chemical Co., Ltd. (オー・ジー長瀬カラーケミカル株式会社)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025Joint development partner for EnzyBlue recycled indigo dye, leveraging Nagase Group's color chemical expertise.
• Rinnovation Co., Ltd.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2020Collaborated to produce world's first bio-indigo jeans using Micro Bio Factory's bio-indigo dye technology.
• Osaka Institute of Technology (地方独立行政法人大阪産業技術研究所)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2020Joint research partner; featured in promotional video showcasing Micro Bio Factory's technology achievements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Spiber: Japanese biotech company producing bio-based structural proteins (Brewed Protein™) for textiles and apparel. Comparable as a Japan-based synbio startup commercializing fermentation-derived materials into fashion industry supply chains, and one of the most visible Japanese bio-material success stories.
• PILI Bio: French synthetic biology company producing renewable, low-carbon pigments and dyes through microbial fermentation. Directly comparable to Micro Bio Factory's bio-indigo and dye programs with the same sustainability-driven approach to displacing petroleum-derived textile colorants.
• Green Earth Institute: Japanese bio-refinery startup developing microbial production of amino acids, alcohols, and isoprenoids from renewable feedstocks. Highly comparable as the founder's former employer, operating in the same Japanese synbio ecosystem with similar Corynebacterium-based fermentation technology and B2B chemicals focus.
• Colorifix: UK-based synthetic biology company producing microbial dyes for the textile industry. Directly comparable to Micro Bio Factory's bio-indigo and EnzyBlue programs—same end market (apparel dyes), same core technology (engineered microbes producing pigments), and similar sustainability narrative.
• Bolt Threads: US-based biotech company developing bio-fabricated materials including silk and alternative proteins, with apparel brand partnerships. Comparable as a synbio startup commercializing fermentation-derived materials into fashion industry supply chains, particularly around sustainable textile production.

Broad incumbents

• Ginkgo Bioworks: US-listed synthetic biology platform company offering cell engineering and fermentation services across multiple end markets including specialty chemicals. Comparable as a broad synbio platform player pursuing many of the same bio-based chemical opportunities (including dyes and resins) Micro Bio Factory targets.
• Twist Bioscience: US-listed synthetic biology company providing DNA synthesis and engineered biology services that enable bio-based chemical production. Comparable as a broader synbio platform that competes for the same customer R&D budgets and partnership opportunities in bio-based chemical development.

Emerging players

• Keel Labs: North American biotech company developing bio-based fibers (including seaweed-derived yarns) for sustainable apparel. Comparable as an emerging player in bio-based textile materials with similar sustainability-driven brand partnerships in the fashion industry.
• Protein Evolution: US-based synthetic biology company developing bio-based materials including recycled textiles and performance fibers. Comparable as an emerging player pursuing fermentation-based textile solutions and circular fashion—adjacent to Micro Bio Factory's EnzyBlue recycled indigo dye.

Regional players

• AMSilk: German biotech company producing bio-fabricated silk proteins for cosmetics, apparel, and industrial applications. Comparable as a fermentation-based materials company targeting apparel and personal care end markets with similar technology platform, though primarily serving European rather than Asian customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Micro Bio Factory