German green chemistry startup DUDE CHEM closes €6.5M Seed round

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Berlin-based DUDE CHEM, a green chemical manufacturing company, announced that it has closed a €6.5M seed round.

The investment was co-led by Vorwerk Ventures and b2venture. The round also saw participation from investors, including Frontline, Borski Fund, Auxxo, and Push Ventures. 

Dr. Dominik Steinkühler, Partner at Vorwerk Ventures, says, “DUDE CHEM uniquely combines deep chemical expertise with innovative technology to enhance environmentally friendly chemical production. We are happy to back such a skilled and passionate team. 

“Their proposition of repatriating supply chains at competitive costs while simultaneously diminishing the environmental footprint of chemical production is compelling.”

Capital utilisation

The funding will support DUDE CHEM’s mission to lead the transition in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors towards sustainable, cost-efficient, and locally oriented production.

The funds will also fuel the expansion of the company’s scientific team and enable the reintroduction of a flagship product, ensuring a secure supply chain for one of Europe’s leading generic drug producers.

Greener and more transparent production processes

DUDE CHEM is an asset-light green chemistry company revolutionising the €5.5T global pharma-chemical industry. 

The company supplies eco-friendly active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, building the next generation of pharmaceutical production in Europe through a network of manufacturers. 

As a virtual manufacturer, DUDE CHEM focuses on greener and cost-efficient chemical supply.

DUDE CHEM’s patented greener production processes offer a 70 per cent reduction in waste and 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions while maintaining the highest quality standards.

Sonja Jost, co-founder and CEO of DUDE CHEM says, “Our ambition is to make Europe a major hub for chemical-pharmaceutical production again and secure critical infrastructure.”

“With our novel approach, we are able to demonstrate that by utilising the innovation power of Green Chemistry, we can significantly reduce costs as well. We’re thrilled to contribute to a higher resilience of Western supply chains and support a sustainable reindustrialisation.”

About DUDE CHEM

Founded in 2021, DUDE CHEM is a virtual deeptech manufacturer pioneering greener chemical production. It leverages in-house developed processes and advanced computational approaches, collaborating with a network of manufacturers. 

The founders, consisting of Sonja Jost (CEO), Tino Mundt (Chief Engineer), Dr. Henriette Nowothnick (CSO), and Dr. Mathis Han (Chief Data Scientist), bring expertise in Green Chemical Production and Data Science, aiming to revolutionise current manufacturing methods.

DUDE CHEM originated with its roots in the scientific cluster of excellence, Catalysis UniSysCat (formerly UniCat), at the University of Technology Berlin. The company’s technology is built upon decades of research conducted in European research institutes.

The company’s team consists of scientists in green chemistry and chemical data science who have previously developed and successfully validated their green recipes in the market. Notably, John Warner, the founder of green chemistry, joined the team in 2022.

The company also benefits from support and investment from notable figures such as Peter Gallagher, former Executive VP at Unilever, Stefan Borgas, former CEO of Lonza and current CEO of RHI Magnesita, and Udo Jung, BCG’s former Global Head of Chemicals.

Brief about the lead investors 

Vorwerk Ventures is a €150M independent venture capital fund. Focused on sustainable business models with a positive impact, they emphasise consumer-facing digital businesses and extend support to selected B2B companies aligning with their sector expertise.

b2venture, established in 2000, is a VC firm in Europe that specialises in early-stage investments through dedicated funds and stage-agnostic investments via a direct investment track. The firm deploys over €100M annually across Europe.

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Vishal Singh

Vishal Singh is a News Reporter and Social Media Marketing Lead at Silicon Canals. He covers developments in the European startup ecosystem and oversees the publication's social media presence. Before joining Silicon Canals, Vishal gained experience at the Indian digital media outlet Inc42, contributing to its growth with insightful content. Despite being a college dropout, his passion for writing has driven his career in journalism.

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