Impact story

EIC Accelerator Grant: ChainCraft

WUR spin-off ChainCraft was among the four Dutch companies awarded an EIC Accelerator Grant in the summer of 2023. ChainCraft transforms organic waste streams into sustainable fatty acids. With the support of the EIC grant, ChainCraft is scaling up its production of these eco-friendly fatty acids. Founder and CEO Niels van Stralen remarks, "Our connection with Wageningen is very strong, and we benefit greatly from it."

"Traditional chemical industries typically derive fatty acids from palm oil and petroleum," explains Niels. "ChainCraft offers a green alternative. Our patented fermentation technology enables us to replace petroleum and palm oil-based fatty acids with high-quality, fully circular fatty acids."

Entrepreneurship

ChainCraft has evolved into a scale-up with approximately thirty employees. Niels, who completed his studies in Biobased Technology, founded ChainCraft around fourteen years ago. "I never saw myself working for a large corporation; I was eager to become an entrepreneur," he explains. "During my studies, I came across the fermentation technology now owned by ChainCraft. I completed my graduation project on it and later acquired the patent with the inventor, Kirsten Steinbusch."

Amid the company's rapid growth and dynamic development, winning the EIC Grant stands out as a significant milestone for Niels. "This grant is arguably the most challenging to secure, with a success rate of only a few percent. It was a tremendous achievement, and we were overjoyed. For us, it was a validation that we are on the right path and capable of distinguishing ourselves in a highly competitive field."

Fermentation Factory

Niels hopes that ChainCraft will continue to experience robust growth in the coming years. This includes transitioning from the current demonstration plant in the Amsterdam port to the establishment of the first fermentation factory for bio-based fatty acids in Northern Netherlands. "We will continue to achieve this with experts who often have a background in Wageningen, particularly within our R&D department," says Niels. "Moreover, we are engaged in several projects with WUR and have a colleague who collaborates with both us and WUR. We are also working with Prof. Cees Buisman’s Environmental Technology department on new fermentation processes."

Niels notes that the entrepreneurial climate in Wageningen has made significant progress in recent years. "When I was studying, the ecosystem was still in its early stages. Institutions like StartLife have become highly professional, which is wonderful to see. We continue to benefit from this advancement."

More about ChainCraft: www.chaincraft.com