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Success stories from North Rhine-Westphalia

b.fab GmbH – Like in nature, only more efficient

Plants bind carbon dioxide and convert the greenhouse gas into sugar and oxygen. However, this natural process is inefficient. The Cologne-based company b.fab aims to use a more efficient technology to convert harmful CO2 into formic acid. In a further process, bacteria convert this formic acid into more valuable molecules. The end products of this chain include proteins for aquaculture and bioplastics.

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The challenge

Dr. Frank Kensy and his team are tackling two major, closely interrelated challenges. First, carbon dioxide (CO2) has become a massive problem over the past few decades. The proportion of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere increases year after year, contributing significantly to global warming and thus climate change. "It would therefore be important not only to reduce CO2 emissions, but also to capture and utilize the emitted CO2," asserts Kensy, founder and CEO of the Cologne-based startup b.fab GmbH. Natural photosynthesis could serve as a model, in which all green plants extract CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into sugar and oxygen using water and solar energy. However, Kensy sees a second challenge here: "If you take a closer look at natural photosynthesis, you quickly realize that nature operates quite inefficiently, incorporating less than one percent of solar energy into its products," explains the bioprocess engineer, who holds a doctorate from RWTH Aachen University. Photovoltaics are already much further ahead, with efficiencies of over 15 percent, and the trend is rising.

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  • Photos: b.fab GmbH, unsplash/Crystal Kwok
  • Text: Lothar Schmitz, business journalist, Bonn
  • Publication date: June 2023

Dr. Frank Kensy, CEO

“We set out to further develop and ultimately scale the processes and technology in the laboratory.”

The innovation

The idea that b.fab in Cologne has been working on since 2018 is artificial photosynthesis. Using renewable electricity – for example, from photovoltaics – and water, an electrolyzer converts CO2 into formic acid. b.fab sources the CO2 from industrial sources, such as cement production. "This creates a liquid in which CO2 and H2 are stored," explains Kensy, "and we then use the formic acid in a bioprocess as the sole raw material to supply nutrients and energy to microorganisms that build new products from it." b.fab didn't invent the technology itself; it was first described theoretically in Israel about ten years ago. In 2018, they saw for the first time that it also worked in practice. "We set out to further develop the processes and the technology in the laboratory and ultimately scale it up," Kensy emphasizes. According to the founder, b.fab has now reached technology maturity level 4 (out of 9): "Experimental setup in the laboratory." The next level is imminent. “We will soon be moving to a pilot plant, either at Fraunhofer in Leuna or in Belgium, to demonstrate that it works on a larger scale,” reports the entrepreneur. The goal is Level 9, “Industrial Implementation,” within a few years. He
is confident that the pilot production will be successful, as it has already been demonstrated in the laboratory in Cologne. “We’re talking about liters here, not milliliters as in academic settings,” Kensy says proudly. The desired molecules, such as proteins used as feed in aquaculture or bioplastics, are then produced from the raw material through fermentation.

More about b.fab GmbH

The NRW effect

The young company is very happy with its location. "We were fortunate enough to find office and laboratory space in the Technology and Start-up Center on the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne," says Kensy. He describes it as "like winning the lottery," given the enormous shortage of laboratory capacity. The central location also offers further advantages. "Here at ten, we are situated at the heart of a remarkable higher education landscape; North Rhine-Westphalia has an exceptionally high concentration of excellent universities and research institutions." This makes the Cologne region an outstanding location and very attractive to students and graduates. Furthermore, the company maintains contacts with the chemical industry, which is also well-represented in Cologne, Leverkusen, Dormagen, and Hürth. "In general, the proximity to the Rhenish mining region is beneficial for us, enabling us to play a key role in shaping the structural transformation there in the future," Kensy adds. b.fab has also secured investors in North Rhine-Westphalia, whose funding, combined with public grants, ensures that b.fab can drive industrial transformation with its technology.

This success story of an innovative transformation was published in June 2023. No updates or reviews of the information have taken place since then.

Dr. Frank Kensy, CEO

“We are sitting right in the heart of a remarkable higher education landscape.”

More on the topic of the environment

Transformation through innovation

Background of the publication series

The publication series “Transformation through Innovation” aims to illustrate how companies in North Rhine-Westphalia have been able to write successful innovation stories thanks to the framework conditions created by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

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