Gaurab was getting his PhD at University of Texas Southwestern and researching a drug candidate for pancreatic cancer. Sean was a graduate student in chemical engineering at MIT focusing on noble metal catalysts. They wondered if marrying their two disciplines could improve chemical manufacturing.

To prove the concept, Gaurab and Sean build a prototype reactor using materials from Home Depot and entered the MIT Entrepreneurship Competition. With $10K of seed funding, they later join renowned startup accelerator Y Combinator and appear in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.  

With cash in hand and a steady customer base, Gaurab and Sean acquire and redevelop the brownfield site of a previously exploded chemical plant in Houston. They later raise a $13.5M Series A funding round led by Fifty Years, Founders Fund, and Y Combinator.

To better serve a growing list of energy customers, refined blending and distribution capabilities are established in Slaton, TX. Solugen closes $32 million in Series B funding led by Founders Fund, with participation from Y Combinator, Refactor Capital, Fifty Years and KdT Ventures. The company is named among Houston’s fastest growing private companies. 

Construction on Solugen’s 10 KTA demonstration scale Bioforge begins. The company is named on Forbes list of Next Billion Dollar Startups.

Construction on Bioforge Houston is complete. The company receives over $350M in Series C funding in a round led by GIC and Baillie Gifford, with participation from Temasek Holdings, BlackRock, Carbon Direct Capital Management, Refactor Capital, and Fifty Years. Solugen receives the World Changing Idea Award by Fast Company.

Bioforge Houston production hits critical mass in its first year of operation. Solugen establishes itself with top tier customers for existing solutions and technology partners to build a robust pipeline of future molecules. The company raises over $200M in a Series D funding in a round led by Kennivik, Lowercarbon Capital, and Refactor Capital. Solugen is later ranked second on Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Solugen announces its first major expansion outside of Texas with plans to build a 50,000 sf biomanufacturing facility in Marshall, MN. The company also announces major strategic partnerships with established industry leaders like Sasol Chemicals and ADM to commercialize and scale new solutions.

In April, Solugen breaks ground on a new facility in Southwest Minnesota alongside government leaders, business leaders, and community partners.

In June, Solugen secures conditional commitment for a $213.6M loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to scale domestic biomanufacturing.