Kemvera Achieves Major Milestones and Rebrands to Advance Bio-Based Chemical Manufacturing
Kemvera, formerly New Iridium, has reached significant process development milestones for its bio-based chemical manufacturing, including completing a commercial plant design and commissioning a pilot reactor. The company rebranded to reflect its vision of scaling sustainable solutions using U.S. bio-ethanol from corn. These advancements position Kemvera to produce bio-acetic acid and bio-ethyl acetate, supporting American farmers, reinforcing domestic manufacturing, and reducing reliance on fossil-derived products in the growing green chemicals market.
Kemvera, previously known as New Iridium, has announced major process development milestones signaling significant progress in commercializing its bio-based chemical manufacturing platform. The company has completed the process design package (FEL 1) for a planned 50,000-metric-tons-per-year commercial plant and designed a 500-metric-tons-per-year pre-commercial demonstration reactor. Additionally, Kemvera commissioned and validated a 20-metric-tons-per-year pilot reactor, demonstrating robust continuous operations. These achievements are crucial steps toward deploying their proprietary catalytic platform, which converts domestically sourced corn ethanol into affordable, drop-in bio-acetic acid and bio-ethyl acetate.TheThe company's recent rebranding to Kemvera reflects its long-term vision to scale sustainable bio-based chemical solutions, support U.S. agricultural feedstocks, and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities. By leveraging cost-advantaged U.S. bio-ethanol, Kemvera directly supports American corn farmers and contributes to the growing domestic green chemicals market, projected to reach USD 7.46 billion by 2033. Kemvera integrates partnerships with ethanol producers and agricultural stakeholders to build a vertically connected, sustainable domestic value chain. CEO Dr. Chern-Hooi Lim noted this progress brings them closer to customer delivery, producing chemicals from American-grown feedstocks. The Iowa Corn Promotion Board also praised these innovations for creating high-value markets for corn and strengthening rural economies. Kemvera plans to initially deploy its products in applications like footwear and disinfectants, aiming to expand into a wide range of consumer products, thus providing reliable alternatives to fossil-derived materials and enhancing U.S. supply chain resilience. The company is actively raising Series A funding and seeking strategic partnerships to advance its mission aligned with national priorities.
