November 28th, 2022
Fermenstation Co., Ltd., a technology-based startup attempting to establish a renewable society through its proprietary fermentation upcycling technology, has commercialized ethanol production from grape pomace generated in wine production which has often been abandoned. Using our fermentation technology and manufacturing facility, we will drive R&D and commercial production of biomaterials from unused biomass such as non-standard agricultural products and food wastes or byproducts from food / beverage production.
In wineries and wine factories, the significant amount of grape pomace is always a critical issue. Currently, it is often provided to livestock farmers as feeds or fertilizers or otherwise disposed as industrial waste meaning that upcycling to valuable products remains to be realized. Increase of grape pomace formation led by a steady market growth of domestically produced wine sheds light on necessity of identifying a upcycling solution at economic and environmental points of view.
In grape pomace, oligosaccharides, main starting material for fermentation, have been already used for wine production resulting in generation of residues such as skin and seeds which makes alcohol fermentation difficult. In this project, Fermenstation selected optimum enzymes and microorganisms from our original libraries and designed the bioprocess suitable for saccharifying and fermenting grape pomace.
Furthermore, solid leftover generated in ethanol fermentation of grape pomace is utilized as livestock feed for cattle grown at JA Iwate-Esashi Cattle Center which is close to our factory. We keep contributing to building a renewable society by not only producing value-added upcycled materials without waste but also forming an ecosystem with local stakeholders.
[ Fermenstation Co., Ltd. ]
Fermenstation is providing a solution to upcycle and circulate unused biomass using its proprietary fermentation technology. Our solutions range from manufacturing and sales of cosmetic raw materials to co-development of original materials. Utilization of unused biomass such as food waste, non-standard agricultural products and abandoned farmland remains to be solved. However, to overcome this issue, a solution capable of upcycling a wide range of unused biomass to a variety of appropriate products is expected. Here, we provide a solution based on our fermentation technology platform that allows us to handle diverse unused biomass and turn them into value-added products.
Company name: Fermenstation Co., Ltd.
CEO: Lina Sakai
Headquarters: 2-20-2 Higashikomagata, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
Oshu Laboratory: 573 Shimonawashirosawa, Esashiiwayadou, Oshu, Iwate
Established: July 7, 2009
Business:
– R&D and production of ethanol and fermented materials from food loss/waste and other unused biomass
– OEM/ODM cosmetics, home care goods
– Business creation utilizing unused resources
– Original organic clean beauty brand
Corporate page:
https://fermenstation.co.jp/en/
Online shop:
https://www.fermenstation.jp/