Seed financing round of € 6.5 million strengthens DUDE CHEM

The aim is to promote sustainable and cost-efficient chemical and pharmaceutical production in Europe. Learn more about the company's plans to scale up the environmentally friendly production of active pharmaceutical ingredients

Berlin, February 7, 2024 - Green chemistry startup DUDE CHEM has successfully closed a €6.5 million seed funding round to move the chemical and pharmaceutical industry towards sustainable, local production. The funding round was co-led by venture capital firms Vorwerk Ventures and b2venture. Other investors include Frontline, Borski Fund, Auxxo and Push Ventures. The company will use the funds to expand its team of experienced scientists and provide the first product for one of the European generics manufacturers.

Target is the pharmaceutical chemical industry

DUDE CHEM is a green chemical company that supplies environmentally friendly active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates. The goal is to revolutionize the €5.5 trillion global pharmaceutical chemical industry and build the next generation of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Europe. By leveraging a network of manufacturers, the startup aims to transform the entire pharma chemical industry and bring critical infrastructure such as drug manufacturing back to Europe.

DUDE CHEM acts as a virtual manufacturer that produces chemicals in a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective way. Based on patented techniques in green manufacturing processes, DUDE CHEM's approach is significantly more cost-effective and efficient than other global suppliers. The method can reduce waste by up to 70% and cut CO2 emissions by 40% compared to current best practice, without compromising on quality.

Our ambition is to make Europe a major center for chemical-pharmaceutical production again and to secure critical infrastructures

Sonja Jost, co-founder and CEO of DUDE CHEM

DUDE CHEM was founded in Berlin in 2021 and consists of a team with a scientific background and industry experience. DUDE CHEM's technology is based on decades of research in European research institutes, in particular in the scientific Cluster of Excellence for Catalysis UniSysCat at the Technical University of Berlin. The team is made up of scientists in green chemistry and chemical data science. John Warner, the founder of green chemistry, joined the team in 2022. The company is also joined by angel investors and supporters such as Peter Gallagher, former Executive VP at Unilever, Stefan Borgas, former CEO of Lonza and now CEO of RHI Magnesita, and Udo Jung, former Global Head of Chemistry at BCG.