Company Overview

Company Description

Invizyne is redefining biomanufacturing by leveraging cell-free multi-step enzyme-based systems to efficiently transform natural or renewable resources into highly sought after chemicals. We believe that our biomanufacturing platform, known as SimplePath™, will be a significant alternative to the current methods of chemical compound production, which are generally chemical synthesis, natural extraction, and synthetic biology. Our objective with SimplePath™ is to enable the efficient production of a diverse range of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals, fuels, materials, food additives, and novel compounds. We believe that SimplePath™ not only can maximize the value of these resources but also will contribute to the development of novel chemical compounds that should open new markets and business opportunities.

Our SimplePath™ platform consists of a series of modular cascading enzyme based biomanufacturing systems that leverage natural processes to perform complex chemical conversions, which systems may be coupled together or operate independently. Each system is comprised of several key parts (i.e. substrate(s), enzymes, cofactors, defined operating conditions, selected purification processes, and other system specific elements) that act together to produce one or more intended products.

Although established in 2019, our roots trace back to a decade-long research endeavor at Professor James Bowie’s laboratory at UCLA, where the core innovations underlying the SimplePath™ platform were developed.

One of the most common methods of synthesizing new molecules is chemical synthesis. Chemical synthesis is the construction of complex chemical compounds from simpler ones. It is applied to all types of chemical compounds. This process is often expensive and environmentally unfriendly. Energy use, which is usually high in this process, is often a factor in determining the viability of an end-product. Most chemical synthesis methods produce significant waste and often use petroleum-derived chemicals to derive the end-product. Side products can be difficult to separate from the main product; although some by-products are welcomed if they have their own commercial viability. Chemical synthesis, also, may have long and complex production cycles.

Natural extraction, another common method of sourcing molecules, typically is inefficient, especially when the desired molecule is only found in small concentrations in a plant or other organism. Natural extraction processes can use large amounts of energy when compared to the end result achieved. Often, environmentally damaging solvents are used in the extraction process. Traditional methods of natural extraction typically generate substantial amounts of waste product, which presents issues of local pollution and waste management. There is often an issue of the purity of the end-product, and in many instances the purification process will damage or destroy the active agent being sought. Achieving industrial quantity is an issue in natural extraction. Using natural resources, such as plants, may actually result in over harvesting with consequences to biodiversity, damaging land resources, and local income and related societal issues.

Synthetic biology, another form of synthesizing new molecules, seeks to rewire a unicellular organism, such as yeast, using genetic engineering to produce the desired molecule end-product. This approach has some benefits over the other two methods mentioned above, but it has been more difficult than originally thought to realize the sought after end-product in a timely fashion and at a reasonable cost. The desired molecule using this method, is often toxic to the organism, especially as concentrations increase; as a result molecule yields tend to be low given competing processes within the organism. The intricate interactions and regulatory networks within cells (in essence, the complex and often interdependent series of control systems that orchestrate activities within a cell) make it difficult to predict and optimize the desired outcomes. There tend to be issues achieving long term yield and productivity using synthetic biology when production is scaled up and subjected to industrial conditions.

Companies working in the biobased industry are addressing the world’s environmentally and socioeconomically unsustainable dependence on petroleum, which remains the key feedstock for a wide array of products. Developing chemical feedstocks from renewable sources and using catalytic chemistry to create high-value chemicals that replace petrochemical products, among others, is critical to achieving global sustainability. Biofuels are a major focus of the biobased industry. The industry, however, is expanding into additional sectors, such as agriculture, products using acrylic acid, food production and safety, cleaning products, lubricants, detergents, fertilizers and many other chemicals in common use today. Researchers and firms are increasingly focusing on the development, production and commercialization of bio-derived replacements for many basic chemicals that are commonly used in many industries. These replacements may even be “drop-in” direct substitutes for their petroleum-derived counterparts.

Invizyne has developed a new technology that we believe has the potential to revolutionize the way molecules are created. Our SimplePath™ platform performs the same conversions targeted by other cell engineering technologies, but instead of using whole organisms to make biobased molecules, it uses only the specific enzymes that are involved in the multi-step biocatalyst process of making the molecule of interest. This radically simplifies the biobased process of synthesizing a new molecule and eliminates many of the inherent limitations and bottlenecks of legacy technologies. We believe SimplePath™ is more efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective than traditional methods. We also believe it is more predictable and scalable. We believe our technology has the potential to create the next generation of innovative biomanufacturing systems that leverage the power of enzymes, which we call Biomanufacturing 2.0.

We estimate that the potential applications of SimplePath™ are many. In the pharmaceutical space, the platform could be used to produce new drugs. In the biofuel space, it could be used to produce cleaner and more efficient fuels. In the food space, it could be used to create new flavors and fragrances. In the industrials space, it could be used to produce environmentally friendly and sustainable industrial chemicals. Invizyne currently has focused its effort on two platform areas: cannabinoids and biofuels. In the cannabinoid space, the Company is working to produce CBGA, the “mother cannabinoid” from which other cannabinoids are derived, along with other select downstream cannabinoids. In the biofuel space, Invizyne is working to produce isobutanol, a four-carbon alcohol with a branched structure that can be used as a biofuel or as a building block to higher value downstream molecules.

Through extensive research and development, we have successfully demonstrated in the laboratory the feasibility of manufacturing chemicals using our groundbreaking SimplePath™ processes. On the basis of these achievements, we believe our processes can be scaled up to achieve commercial production capabilities. Once there is indication of proven manufacturing processes at commercial scale, we believe that we will be able to enter the market to offer processes that will be able to meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-quality, chemical products.

We are committed to innovation. We have received substantial US government grants, particularly from the Department of Energy (DOE) for work related to isobutanol, upgrading alcohols, and cofactor development, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for work relating to cannabinoids. This funding has enabled us to advance our technology, to conduct research, to validate our processes, and to push the boundaries of scientific and technological advancements in our field. We have also received grants from two non-government sources. To date, these grants have totaled $12,739,318, since inception.

By combining the power of nature’s catalyst (enzymes) with our commitment to innovation, and funding from government grants and private investment, we believe we will be able to revolutionize the production of many valuable chemicals, drive industry expansion, and shape a more sustainable future. As we move our processes towards commercial production scale, we are confident that our expertise, cutting-edge technology, and strategic partnerships will continue to shape our success and establish us as pioneers in Biomanufacturing 2.0.

Our executive offices are located at 750 Royal Oaks Drive, Suite 106, Monrovia, CA 91016. Our phone number is (626) 415-1488. Our website address is www.invizyne.com.