Avantium was founded in February 2000 as a spin-off from Shell, with a mission to revolutionize catalysis research. Our journey began with a vision to harness high-throughput R&D, and apply it across diverse industries. Supported by a global consortium of strategic, financial, and academic partners, Avantium set out to become a leader in innovative R&D technology.
Our early years were focused on perfecting high-throughput technology, investing heavily to advance and develop new systems and software. By 2005, our dedication paid off as we began offering our R&D systems to clients, responding to their interest in applying our cutting-edge techniques in their own labs.
In 2006, a significant milestone came with the achievement of proof-of-principle for our groundbreaking YXY Technology, marking the beginning of our proprietary development programs aimed at creating plant-to-plastic solutions. The following years saw us expand our services and systems business while diving into our own product development, leading to the establishment of the FDCA pilot plant in Geleen in 2011. This first of its kind, this plant was capable of producing 15 tons of FDCA annually and paving the way for the production of the first PEF bottle.
Recognition of our innovative strides came in 2014 when our CTO, Gert-Jan Gruter, was honored as CTO of the Year Europe by EIRMA and Spinverse. The next year, FDCA gained approval as a food contact material under European Plastics Regulations.
In 2016, we took a significant step by forming Synvina, a joint venture with BASF, to commercialize our YXY Technology. Our growth continued with the successful completion of our IPO in March 2017, which also saw European approval for integrating PEF into existing recycling streams. The same year, we launched Dawn Technology™, opening a pilot biorefinery in Delfzijl that converts non-food biomass into valuable industrial sugars (which can be used for making FDCA) and lignin.
By January 2019, we regained full ownership of Synvina, renaming it Avantium Renewable Polymers. The unveiling of our Ray Technology™ demonstration plant in Delfzijl, further showcased our commitment to innovation in renewable chemicals.
In December 2021, we made the pivotal decision to construct the world’s first FDCA Flagship Plant. Construction began in 2022, during which we also signed the first offtake agreements for FDCA and PEF with global brands such as Toyobo, Terphane, Resilux, and Refresco. The following year, we secured additional offtake contracts with companies including LVMH, Sukano, Carlsberg, AmBev, Monosuisse, Kvadrat, and PANGAIA. In November 2023, Albert Heijn, the largest Dutch supermarket chain, announced it would introduce PEF packaging for its own-brand products. Additionally, in 2023, we signed our first technology license agreement with Origin Materials, a like-minded sustainable materials company.
Our journey of innovation and expansion continued in 2022 with the renaming of Avantium Catalysis to Avantium R&D Solutions, reflecting our broadened focus on sustainable chemistry research and development.
Throughout our history, Avantium has been driven by a vision of a fossil-free world. Our portfolio now includes advanced technologies such as YXY® for plant-to-plastics, Dawn Technology™ for biomass conversion, and Ray Technology™ for creating plant-based MEG. We are also pioneering Volta Technology, a platform for converting CO2 into chemicals and materials using renewable energy. In December 2016, we enhanced our technological capabilities for Volta Technology by acquiring the assets (IP, know-how, and hardware) from Liquid Light.
From our IPO to our current innovations, Avantium remains at the forefront of the renewable chemistry revolution, committed to creating a sustainable future through groundbreaking technologies and strategic partnerships.
