Unibio and BioVerde partner to advance methane-to-chemicals platform

Copenhagen, Denmark — Unibio A/S and BioVerde Tech LLC have entered a strategic partnership to develop a methane-based platform for producing industrial chemicals, targeting lower-cost and lower-carbon butadiene production.

The collaboration combines Unibio’s gas fermentation technology with BioVerde’s microbial engineering and chemical conversion capabilities to create scalable processes that convert methane into chemical intermediates.

The companies said the initial focus will be on butadiene, a key raw material used in synthetic rubber and plastics, as the chemical industry seeks more sustainable and flexible feedstocks.

Under the agreement, BioVerde will deploy engineered strains of Methylococcus capsulatus within Unibio’s proprietary U-Loop reactors, designed to optimize gas transfer and enable efficient, large-scale fermentation using methane and other low-cost gaseous inputs.

Executives from both companies said the partnership aims to expand the application of gas fermentation beyond protein production into a broader range of chemicals. BioVerde CEO David Witte said methane could become a practical feedstock for large-scale chemical production, calling butadiene “a compelling place to start.”

Unibio CEO David Henstrom said the collaboration would help extend the company’s platform into new markets, adding that the technology enables efficient gas-to-material conversion at industrial scale.

The joint effort will begin with laboratory, demonstration and pilot-scale development to reduce risks associated with scaling up the process, with the long-term goal of enabling commercial deployment of methane-based chemical manufacturing.

The companies said their combined platform is designed to co-produce biomass and chemical intermediates, improving carbon utilization and potentially offering economic advantages over conventional petrochemical methods.

The partnership comes as the chemical sector increasingly prioritizes lower-emissions production and alternative feedstocks, with methane seen as an abundant resource that could support more sustainable manufacturing pathways.