Share Co-Organizers/Supporting Organizations: Keynote Speaker: Vanessa Chan, University of Pennsylvania Invited Speakers: Jay Amarasekera, SABIC Charles Andres, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati Mark Privitera, Biosynthetic Technologies Eric Breese, Evonik Neil Cameron, Emerald Ventures John Carlisle, Chain Reaction Innovations Andrew Cottone, Adesis Steve Dubin, SDA Ventures Greg Fleming, Air Liquide Judith Giordan, ecosVC Edward Greer, Dow Chemical Jacob Grose, BASF Venture Capital Laurence Hayward, Independence Equity Venture Fund Frank Klemens, DuPont Ventures Michael Krel, Sofinnova David Mackanic, Dorm Room Fund Ray W. Miller, Verdecute Consulting Charles Paul, Henkel Adhesives Christina Pellicane, Horn Entrepreneurship, University of Delaware Rajeev Prabhakar, A.T. Kearney William Provine, Delaware Innovation Space Purnesh Seegopaul, Pangaea Ventures Laura Silva, University of Arizona Tony Stanco, NCET2 David Sudolsky, Anellotech Bryan Tracy, White Dog Labs Xun Wang, Triton Algae Innovations Session Topics: The Role of Venturing in the Chemical Industry Chemical Start-up Strategies Outcomes and Exits (M&A, Licensing, etc.) Structuring Deals for Success Presentations: Start-ups will present their technologies Lessons Learned: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Strategic vs. Financial Investing Incubation Space for Chemical Start-ups Startup Presentations: Aequor, Inc. Allied Microbiota, LLC Carbon Upcycling Technologies Compact Membrane Systems Copprint Cycladex, Inc. EcoCatalytic, Inc. iMicrobes Intrida Lectrolyst, LLC MCET Technologies, LLC MesoMat Nanotech Industrial Solutions, Inc. Pilant Power Devices Precision Polyolefins, LLC Radical Plastics, Inc. ReliOx Corporation RiKarbon, Inc. SAS Nanotechnologies STF Technologies, LLC Tandem Repeat Technologies LLC TerraCOH, Inc. Thrupore Technologies, Inc. W7Energy. LLC Highlights John Sofranko on Building a Chemical Startup March 1, 2019Chemical industry entrepreneur John Sofranko talks about his background, building a business, and about his company's goals and challenges. Wayne Tamarelli on Chemical Ventures February 8, 2019Angel investor Wayne Tamarelli discusses trends for chemical startups and what you can expect form the Chemical Ventures Conference. Featured Speakers Jay Amarasekera Dr. Jay Amarasekera is a Senior Technology Manager attached SABIC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation which is one of the world’s top diversified chemical company. Prior to this role, he served as the Technology Manager for Performance Chemicals and Innovative Plastics business units of the company. Before SABIC, Jay served in many managerial positions in General Electric’s former Plastics and Silicones businesses both in USA and China. Prior to joining GE, Jay worked as a Research Scientist in BASF Corporation's Colorant & Coatings and Performance...Read more Vanessa Chan Dr. Vanessa Chan is an Entrepreneur, Board Member, Angel Investor, Keynote Speaker and Educator who has spent over 20 years innovating. She is a leading thinker in innovation & entrepreneurship where she thrives at the interface of technology and business. She is currently at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a Professor of Practice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Undergraduate Chair of Materials Science & Engineering and a member of the Executive Committee for Penn Health Tech. Prior to Penn she was a McKinsey...Read more Judith Giordan Judith Giordan is a co-founder of the Chemical Angels Network (www.chemicalangels.com) , Managing Director of ecosVC, Inc. (www.ecosvc.com) , professor of Practice at Oregon State University, a former Fortune 100 executive and an entrepreneur. Judy serves as board member, co-founder, advisor and investor in seed and early stage STEM aligned startups. Her previous executive positions include Corporate Vice President and Officer/Global Director of Research and Development at...Read more Jacob E. Grose Jacob E. Grose, Ph.D. is an Investment Manager for BASF Venture Capital, where he heads the Boston office. He is a board member for NBD Nanotechnologies and a board observer for Provivi. He is responsible for making strategic minority investments that bring value to BASF and the greater community. Previously, Jacob worked for BASF New Business, where, among other projects, Jacob scouted and led BASF's strategic partnership with EnerG2 Technologies. During this time, he was involved in the negotiations, due diligence, and subsequent integration for BASF's acquisition of EnerG2 in 2016....Read more Laurence Hayward Laurence Hayward is a founding partner of Independence Equity, an early-stage venture fund focused on resource efficiency. Hayward is co-founder of Cornerstone Angels, which has invested in more than 60 companies since 2006, and founder/CEO of VentureLab. Previously, Hayward was President of Vcapital.com, an early version of equity crowdfunding. Vcapital was acquired in 2002 by a NY-based investment bank. Hayward led global marketing for the Emerging Company Services practice of Arthur Andersen. He was appointed to represent the firm at the World Economic...Read more Frana James Frana James is the founder and CEO of Allied Microbiota (AMB) which she co-founded with Dr. Raymond Sambrotto at Columbia University. AMB develops low-cost sustainable solutions to treat recalcitrant pollutants using environmentally friendly microbial solutions. AMB's patent-pending bacterial solution is less expensive than the least expensive competing solution for “easy” remediations and is the only solution that can treat PCB and dioxin contamination without using even more expensive, energy-intensive burning or depositing of the contaminated soils in limited classified landfills. AMB...Read more Frank Klemens Frank is the Managing Director of DuPont Ventures (Concurrent with Director of Licensing) in the areas of Nutrition & Health, Industrial Bio Sciences, Electronics & Imaging, Safety & Construction, and Transportation & Advanced Polymers. He works closely with the DuPont businesses to capture new and strategic opportunities primarily in the Specialty Chemical areas (IoT, machine learning, biotech, food, beverage and supplements that address digestive, metabolic and cardiovascular health, as well as specialty food protection, electronics and imaging, and construction and...Read more Michael Krel Michael joined Sofinnova in 2013 and has been involved in the investment activity of the Sofinnova Green Seed Fund and Sofinnova Capital funds and Sofinnova IB 1 fund, a 125 million euros fund dedicated to the decarbonization of the chemical industry. He is an observer on Comet Biorefining board. He was the acting CEO of EnobraQ at the very beginning of the company, and remains a board member since a new CEO has been hired. Prior to Sofinnova, Michael spent two years as VP Business...Read more David Sudolsky David Sudolsky is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Anellotech, which is developing the Bio-TCat™ process to produce cost-competitive renewable aromatic chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes, "BTX") from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable transportation fuels. Anellotech is currently evaluating loblolly pine and eventually other sustainable bio-feedstocks at its seven-story tall TCat-8® pilot plant. Anellotech complements its world-class R&D team with in-depth, long-term alliances with...Read more More Conference Highlights Have You Been Bitten by the Entrepreneurship Bug? 101-year-old Chemical Engineer Awarded Patent Proceedings Proceedings of the Chemical Ventures Conference 2019 are now available: Browse proceedings for this conference
John Sofranko on Building a Chemical Startup March 1, 2019Chemical industry entrepreneur John Sofranko talks about his background, building a business, and about his company's goals and challenges.
Wayne Tamarelli on Chemical Ventures February 8, 2019Angel investor Wayne Tamarelli discusses trends for chemical startups and what you can expect form the Chemical Ventures Conference.
Jay Amarasekera Dr. Jay Amarasekera is a Senior Technology Manager attached SABIC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation which is one of the world’s top diversified chemical company. Prior to this role, he served as the Technology Manager for Performance Chemicals and Innovative Plastics business units of the company. Before SABIC, Jay served in many managerial positions in General Electric’s former Plastics and Silicones businesses both in USA and China. Prior to joining GE, Jay worked as a Research Scientist in BASF Corporation's Colorant & Coatings and Performance...Read more
Vanessa Chan Dr. Vanessa Chan is an Entrepreneur, Board Member, Angel Investor, Keynote Speaker and Educator who has spent over 20 years innovating. She is a leading thinker in innovation & entrepreneurship where she thrives at the interface of technology and business. She is currently at the University of Pennsylvania, where she is a Professor of Practice in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Undergraduate Chair of Materials Science & Engineering and a member of the Executive Committee for Penn Health Tech. Prior to Penn she was a McKinsey...Read more
Judith Giordan Judith Giordan is a co-founder of the Chemical Angels Network (www.chemicalangels.com) , Managing Director of ecosVC, Inc. (www.ecosvc.com) , professor of Practice at Oregon State University, a former Fortune 100 executive and an entrepreneur. Judy serves as board member, co-founder, advisor and investor in seed and early stage STEM aligned startups. Her previous executive positions include Corporate Vice President and Officer/Global Director of Research and Development at...Read more
Jacob E. Grose Jacob E. Grose, Ph.D. is an Investment Manager for BASF Venture Capital, where he heads the Boston office. He is a board member for NBD Nanotechnologies and a board observer for Provivi. He is responsible for making strategic minority investments that bring value to BASF and the greater community. Previously, Jacob worked for BASF New Business, where, among other projects, Jacob scouted and led BASF's strategic partnership with EnerG2 Technologies. During this time, he was involved in the negotiations, due diligence, and subsequent integration for BASF's acquisition of EnerG2 in 2016....Read more
Laurence Hayward Laurence Hayward is a founding partner of Independence Equity, an early-stage venture fund focused on resource efficiency. Hayward is co-founder of Cornerstone Angels, which has invested in more than 60 companies since 2006, and founder/CEO of VentureLab. Previously, Hayward was President of Vcapital.com, an early version of equity crowdfunding. Vcapital was acquired in 2002 by a NY-based investment bank. Hayward led global marketing for the Emerging Company Services practice of Arthur Andersen. He was appointed to represent the firm at the World Economic...Read more
Frana James Frana James is the founder and CEO of Allied Microbiota (AMB) which she co-founded with Dr. Raymond Sambrotto at Columbia University. AMB develops low-cost sustainable solutions to treat recalcitrant pollutants using environmentally friendly microbial solutions. AMB's patent-pending bacterial solution is less expensive than the least expensive competing solution for “easy” remediations and is the only solution that can treat PCB and dioxin contamination without using even more expensive, energy-intensive burning or depositing of the contaminated soils in limited classified landfills. AMB...Read more
Frank Klemens Frank is the Managing Director of DuPont Ventures (Concurrent with Director of Licensing) in the areas of Nutrition & Health, Industrial Bio Sciences, Electronics & Imaging, Safety & Construction, and Transportation & Advanced Polymers. He works closely with the DuPont businesses to capture new and strategic opportunities primarily in the Specialty Chemical areas (IoT, machine learning, biotech, food, beverage and supplements that address digestive, metabolic and cardiovascular health, as well as specialty food protection, electronics and imaging, and construction and...Read more
Michael Krel Michael joined Sofinnova in 2013 and has been involved in the investment activity of the Sofinnova Green Seed Fund and Sofinnova Capital funds and Sofinnova IB 1 fund, a 125 million euros fund dedicated to the decarbonization of the chemical industry. He is an observer on Comet Biorefining board. He was the acting CEO of EnobraQ at the very beginning of the company, and remains a board member since a new CEO has been hired. Prior to Sofinnova, Michael spent two years as VP Business...Read more
David Sudolsky David Sudolsky is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Anellotech, which is developing the Bio-TCat™ process to produce cost-competitive renewable aromatic chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes, "BTX") from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable transportation fuels. Anellotech is currently evaluating loblolly pine and eventually other sustainable bio-feedstocks at its seven-story tall TCat-8® pilot plant. Anellotech complements its world-class R&D team with in-depth, long-term alliances with...Read more