Enzymes are molecules that, although imperceptible to the human eye, allow all chemical reactions that occur in the human body to accelerate. They are essential, for example, in the digestion process, as well as being responsible for the body's ability to tolerate lactose. However, for these enzymes to be used in industrial chemical processes, they must first be optimized to withstand the factory environment. With this objective, Zymvol was born in 2017, a Catalan startup that has developed specialized software to design enzymes so that they can be used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries. The biotechnology company has raised three million euros to make a quality leap in its computer program and improve its facilities.
"Enzymes are like tiny chemical factories responsible for all the transformations that occur in nature; by harnessing the power of enzymes, we can offer clean and sustainable chemical processes to companies looking to improve their products," explains its CEO, Maria Fátima Lucas. These molecules are currently used in the industrial sector to, for example, produce lactose-free milk ---thanks to the enzyme known as lactase--- or manufacture detergents with greater stain-removing power.
However, before being used in the factory, enzymes must be optimized to withstand environmental conditions and sudden changes in temperature and pressure. To do this, the Catalan company has developed a computer program that offers simulations that imitate factory conditions. Thanks to the use of this software, the time and costs involved in verifying that an enzyme can withstand the factory and be used in chemical processes can be reduced. In addition, this company's technology is also capable of discovering the most suitable enzymes for a given chemical reaction.
Since its creation, Zymvol has completed more than 100 projects for companies in various sectors, mainly for pharmaceutical and chemical industries, collaborating with international clients such as Axplora, Medichem or Sanofi. For 2025, the startup plans to optimize its technology thanks to the three million euros raised in this round. An investment that has been led by venture capital firms Faber Venture, Elaia Partner ---who already contributed up to 1.3 million euros in the company's previous round--- and Übermorgen Ventures. In its previous financing round, the company also raised 700 thousand euros from Avançsa, the Generalitat's company for the promotion and boosting of companies, through its Innova Creixement aid line.
The company plans to expand its team, which currently has more than 20 employees distributed between its offices in the Catalan capital and Boston, and especially to increase its sales and marketing department to attract new clients. The purpose of this startup founded in Barcelona is to improve its technology so that more and more companies become aware of the potential of using enzymes in industry, a sector valued at almost 14,000 million euros in 2024. In addition, with the investment raised, they also plan to improve their experimental laboratory, located in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), and expand their software, as well as launch their first personalized enzyme kit on the market.
"Enzymes have proven to be an effective solution to reduce emissions and harmful chemicals in industrial production, but they remain underutilized due to the complexity of their application," laments Zymvol's CEO. The use of enzymes in pharmaceutical or food processes can help to reduce emissions, as their application allows to reduce or even eliminate the need to use toxic chemicals during these industrial processes. With its technology, the company wants to facilitate access to these particles "so that green chemistry becomes the new norm," reflects Maria Fátima.