BASF has announced it has recently signed two distinct partnerships agreements with Allied Carbon Solutions Co., Ltd (ACS) Japan and Holiferm Ltd. United Kingdom.
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The strategic alliance with ACS includes an equity stake and makes BASF the single largest shareholder.
It further entails an exclusive technology cooperation, commercial agreement and product development for sophorolipids, one class of glycolipids, to address the ever-increasing needs of consumers for sustainable, natural and bio-degradable ingredients and actives.
In collaboration with ACS, BASF developed a sophorolipid-based ingredient, produced via fermentation technology, and launched it in the Asian market under the brand name BioToLife in the second quarter of 2020.
Through the strategic technology agreement with Holiferm, a United Kingdom-based start-up company, BASF establishes an exclusive cooperation to focus on developing and manufacturing sustainable, non-fossil based, fermentation-derived ingredients for other classes of glycolipids with potential for application in home care, industrial formulators and personal care products.
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The recently signed joint development agreement between BASF and Holiferm is aiming at developing different glycolipids outside of sophorolipids for personal and home care as well as industrial formulators applications.
Ralph Schweens, president, care chemicals, BASF, said, “We see strong business potential in these partnerships. While BASF already has solid innovation and production capabilities for surfactants, we are always scouting for opportunities to work with partners well-rooted in technologies which add to our strength in order to expand our product portfolio with additional biobased products.”
Yosuke Yamagata, CEO at ACS, said, “Biotechnology has been an established field in many industries for decades. More recently, it is also being used to develop Personal Care ingredients, predominantly active ingredients with high efficacy. ACS looks forward to a fruitful relationship with BASF."
Ben Dolman, CEO at Holiferm, said, “We value the collaborative approach BASF takes to strategic development and believe this partnership allows both partners to leverage their key innovation strengths. We look forward to working together to develop these further."
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