What Bobine Chemistry does

Bobine Chemistry is a French deeptech startup founded in 2022 and headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, that has developed a proprietary chemical recycling platform for converting end-of-life plastic waste into virgin-quality olefins (ethylene and propylene). Its core technology — termed induction activated catalysis — combines heterogeneous catalysis with electromagnetic induction to depolymerize polyolefin waste without the use of a steam cracker, producing food-grade polymers suitable for contact-sensitive packaging. The company claims performance advantages over pyrolysis-based chemical recycling of +45% conversion rate, -60% energy demand, -45% production cost, and -55% CO2 emissions, with the process being 100% electric and offering full material traceability.

The company operates a single unified technology platform being de-risked through a four-stage scale-up roadmap: a 400 g/day lab bench (Demo V1), a 100 kg/day continuous pilot co-operated with Michelin (Demo V2), a 1 ton/day pre-industrial demonstrator targeted for 2026 (Demo V3), and a first 30 tons/day industrial unit targeted for 2028. IP is anchored by a principle patent applied in July 2022 (exclusive license from SATT Conectus Alsace, jointly owned by CNRS, SICAT and BLACKLEAF) plus two additional patents. Bobine's business model is oriented toward B2B licensing of its recycling technology and processing services to industrial partners in petrochemicals, packaging, and waste management. Revenue generation is not yet meaningful — the company is pre-commercial, monetizing through partnerships and demonstrations rather than product sales.

Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting large industrial accounts, with Michelin serving as flagship co-development partner via its Center for Sustainable Materials in Parc Cataroux. Target customer segments include polyolefin waste producers and recyclers, food-grade packaging manufacturers facing EU PPWR recycled-content mandates, and petrochemical incumbents seeking low-carbon alternatives to steam cracking. The 12-person team is led by CEO Vincent Simonneau and brings deep O&G and petrochemical process engineering experience, supplemented by scientific, industrial, and board advisors including a former Total Petrochemicals president.

Name

Bobine Chemistry

Legal name

bobine

Website

https://bobine-chemistry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bobine Chemistry is a French deeptech startup that has developed induction-activated catalytic technology to convert non-recyclable polyolefin waste into virgin-grade olefins without steam cracking, serving petrochemical, packaging, and waste-management industrial customers through technology licensing and co-development partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chemical Plastic Recycling Technology

NAICS

Petrochemical Manufacturing (325110), Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing (32519)

SIC

Chemicals & Allied Products (2800), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical/Advanced Plastics Recycling (Depolymerization, Pyrolysis, Solvolysis) (IMANAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Base Olefins (Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene) (IMAEADAA), Plastic-to-Fuel/Oil & Feedstock Upgrading (Naphtha/Cracker Feed) (EUAIAKAL)

Keywords

• Chemical plastic recycling
• Induction catalysis technology
• Polyolefin depolymerization process
• Olefin cracking technology
• Circular polymer production

Headquarters

HQ city

Clermont-ferrand

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Chemical Recycling Technology Licensing and Processing Services: Bobine Chemistry appears to generate revenue through licensing its proprietary chemical recycling technology and potentially providing processing services to industrial partners. The company is in scale-up phase with demo units, suggesting a business model centered on technology commercialization and potentially building industrial-scale processing facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bobine Chemistry develops and commercializes an induction activated catalysis technology platform that converts hard-to-recycle polyolefin plastic waste into virgin-quality olefins (ethylene and propylene) without requiring a steam cracker, producing food-grade polymers suitable for contact-sensitive packaging. The company is industrializing the process through a scale-up roadmap of demonstration units (Demo V1 Lab Bench at 400 g/day, Demo V2 Continuous Pilot at 100 kg/day co-operated with Michelin, Demo V3 Pre-Industrial at 1 ton/day targeting 2026, and an Industrial Demonstrator at 30 tons/day targeting 2028), with revenue expected from technology licensing and industrial processing services to petrochemical, packaging, and recycling customers.

Product overview

Bobine Chemistry offers a single unified chemical recycling technology platform based on induction activated catalysis. The platform converts plastic waste (particularly polyolefins) into virgin-quality olefins (ethylene and propylene) without requiring a steam cracker. The product portfolio consists of demonstration units progressing through scale-up stages: Demo V1 Lab Bench (400 g/day), Demo V2 Continuous Pilot Unit (100 kg/day, co-operated with Michelin), Demo V3 Pre-Industrial Demonstrator (1 ton/day, co-operated with Michelin, operational 2026), and the Industrial Demonstrator (30 tons/day, operational 2028). The technology delivers food-grade quality polymers suitable for contact-sensitive packaging, with claimed gains of +45% conversion rate, -60% energy demand, -45% production cost, and -55% CO2 emission compared to pyrolysis/steamcracking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Induction Activated Catalysis Technology Platform Proprietary chemical recycling technology platform combining heterogeneous catalysis and electromagnetic induction to convert hard-to-recycle polyolefin plastic waste into virgin-quality olefins (ethylene and propylene) without requiring a steam cracker. Produces food-grade polymers suitable for contact-sensitive packaging applications. Performance claims vs pyrolysis/steam-cracking: +45% conversion rate, -60% energy demand, -45% production cost, -55% CO2 emissions. 100% electric process with full material traceability. Licensed to industrial partners.
• Demo V1 Lab Bench Laboratory-scale demonstration unit operating at 400 g/day of plastic waste processing capacity. Validated at lab scale as initial proof of concept for the induction activated catalysis technology platform.
• Demo V2 Continuous Pilot Unit Continuous pilot unit processing 100 kg/day of plastic waste, co-operated with Michelin at the Center for Sustainable Materials in Parc Cataroux, Clermont-Ferrand. Demonstrated 24-hour continuous run capability with stable olefin production measured every 15 minutes, validated on plastic wastes, a synthetic mix (65% PE, 30% PP, 5% PS), and pure HDPE.

Quantifiable outcome

• +45% conversion rate compared to pyrolysis-based chemical recycling
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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.

• MichelincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Strategic co-development partnership with Michelin for plastic recycling technology. Michelin provides access to the Center for Sustainable Materials in Parc Cataroux, Clermont-Ferrand for installing and operating demo v2 (100kg/day continuous pilot unit) and demo v3 (1 ton/day pre-industrial demonstrator).
• SATT Conectus AlsacecoreTechnology or IntegrationPatent administrator that granted bobine an exclusive license to use the core induction catalysis technology patent (filed July 2022, jointly owned by CNRS and SICAT/BLACKLEAF).
• CNRS/University of Strasbourg (ICPEES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch origin of the bobine technology. The Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment and Health (ICPEES, UMR 7515) developed the technology over 3 years of R&D. CNRS co-owns the core patent.
• SICATcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial company involved in technology development. Co-owner of the core patent alongside CNRS and BLACKLEAF. Inventor Charlotte Pham serves on bobine's Scientific Committee. CEO Stephane Wambergue serves on the Industrial Committee.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Technip Energies: Engineering, EPC and process technology provider active in plastic waste chemical recycling plant design (e.g., with Plastic Energy and others). Adjacent enabler that could supply engineering, scale-up, or licensing infrastructure for bobine's pre-industrial and industrial units.

Broad incumbents

• BASF (ChemCycling): Global chemical incumbent operating the ChemCycling initiative to incorporate pyrolysis-oil from plastic waste into its production network. Overlaps with bobine's circular feedstock strategy for petrochemical value chains, but as part of BASF's broader chemical portfolio rather than a dedicated recycling platform.
• ExxonMobil (Exxtend): Petrochemical incumbent scaling advanced (pyrolysis-based) recycling of plastic waste to produce circular feedstocks for its cracker network. Comparable as a large-capital chemical recycling competitor targeting the same circular olefins opportunity, but embedded in a broader petrochemical business.
• INEOS Energy / INEOS Group: Major petrochemical group with chemical recycling and circular polymer initiatives (e.g., based on Agylix technology for pyrolysis of mixed plastic waste). Comparable as a petrochemical incumbent pursuing circular olefin/feedstock supply, but as part of a much larger chemicals business.
• Eastman Chemical: Large specialty chemical incumbent operating methanolysis-based chemical recycling (PR Eastman Renew) to produce monomers for virgin-quality polymers. Overlaps with bobine's goal of producing food-grade recycled monomers/polymers but operates at much larger scale and via a different chemistry.

Direct peers

• Carbios: French biotech company developing enzymatic depolymerization processes to recycle PET and other polyesters into monomers for virgin-quality polymer production. Compares on technology-driven circular polymer production for packaging and on French/European base, though focused on PET and enzymatic rather than polyolefin/induction catalysis.
• Plastic Energy: Chemical recycling company operating pyrolysis-based conversion of end-of-life plastic waste into feedstock oils that can be returned to petrochemical crackers. Closely comparable to bobine on goal (circular cracker feedstock) and customer base (petrochemicals, packaging), though using a different (thermal, not induction-catalytic) process route.
• Mura Technology: Operates Cat-HTR hydrothermal advanced recycling process to convert mixed plastic waste into circular feedstocks for new plastic production. Directly comparable as an advanced/chemical recycling platform targeting the same circular olefins/feedstock opportunity for petrochemical and packaging customers.
• Recycling Technologies: UK-based chemical recycling company developing pyrolysis-based conversion of mixed plastic waste into Plaxx feedstock for petrochemical crackers. Directly comparable as a chemical recycling platform targeting circular cracker feedstocks, though using thermal rather than induction-catalytic conversion.

Emerging players

• Loop Industries: Emerging player developing proprietary depolymerization technologies to break down PET and other plastics into monomers for virgin-quality polymer production. Comparable end-goal (food-grade polymers from waste) and licensing-style business model, but at earlier scale and focused on PET depolymerization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors7 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 Bobine Chemistry