ARCITEKBio Ltd. is delighted to announce that its project under the Welsh Government’s EU funded SMART Cymru programme is progressing swiftly. The original award was granted in October, 2020 to improve the overall economics and commercial readiness of the company’s flagship EcoXyL process for xylitol production. The major project objective is to implement technical strategies to improve feedstock conversion with a view to expand the technology’s overall application spectrum. With funding from the Smart Cymru, which supports growth of Welsh industry by funding activities in research and development, ARCITEKBio aims to fill in the missing link in its EcoXyL process to provide a cheaper, eco-friendly and sustainable alternative for xylitol production.

We are pleased to announce that ArcitekBio has been selected as a finalist for the Green startup of the year at the 2021 Wales Startup Awards. The Green startup of the year award recognises those start-ups developing those products, processes or services that are resulting in significant environmental improvements. The judges are looking for new ventures that are fully committed to green business and are making a real difference to future sustainable development. "New firms are the lifeblood of any growing economy as they create wealth, develop innovation and, most importantly, generate jobs in local communities. With research showing that new businesses create the majority of employment in any economy, they are making a real difference every day in improving prosperity across Wales. The Wales Start-Up Awards were established in 2016 to recognise the achievements of those amazing individuals who have had a great idea, spotted the opportunity and taken the risks to launch a new product or service. Such entrepreneurs and their new ventures are the unsung heroes of the business community and we feel it is important, now more than ever, to recognise their talents, creativity and sheer hard work. Now in their sixth year, the Wales Startup Awards are also the only awards in the UK that focus specifically on celebrating the success of new businesses and recognise businesses across all sectors and all parts of Wales Whilst the Wales Start-Up Awards had to go online in 2020, we are aiming to return to the Depot in Cardiff in September 2021 so that the start-up community can come together again in an informal and relaxed atmosphere (strictly no black tie!) to celebrate the best of Welsh entrepreneurship." Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE Creator of the Wales Start-Up Awards

Advances Wales highlights groundbreaking innovations in science, engineering and technology across Wales. The Winter edition of Advances Wales features the development of a groundbreaking urine test for diet tracking (page 7), a sustainable manufacturing process for a sugar substitute (page 13 ) and a device that turns standard beer kegs into digitised smart containers (page 20). This edition of Advances Wales can be viewed online, along with past editions. https://businesswales.gov.wales/innovation/advances-wales


Research on producing a natural, low-calorie sweetener from cereal straw, an agricultural waste stream, has led to the launch of an exciting new company on Aberystwyth University’s Innovation and Enterprise Campus. ARCITEKBio Ltd. (ABL) has developed a biotechnological solution to produce xylitol - a diabetic and tooth friendly natural sweetener from biomass in an environmentally friendly way, aiming to challenge the existing multi-million-pound global industry. ARCITEKBio Ltd. (ABL) is based on the new Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus (AberInnovation) in Gogerddan, initially employing 3 people. The brainchild of Drs Abhishek Somani, Joe Gallagher and David Bryant, ARCITEKBio Ltd. (ABL) is a spinout company from Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences. Drs Narcis Fernandez-Fuentes and Sreenivas Rao Ravella were also involved in the initial development of the technology. Dr Somani said: “ARCITEKBio is founded on the principles of sustainable growth, innovation with impact and value creation. “Our breakthrough, eco-friendly technology for xylitol production combined with the ability to add value to agricultural wastes, positions us to disrupt the global sweeteners industry. “With backing from the UK government and led by a talented team of industry experts, scientists and advisors, we are all working together to achieve our vision.” Dr Somani is one of a team of scientists at IBERS that first started working on xylitol under the BEACON project funded by European Regional Development Fund ERDF, and the EU EIT Climate-KIC funded BIO-SUCCINNOVATE project. The project was led by Dr Bryant, where he was primarily responsible for developing synthetic biology and fermentation strategies to produce a natural sweetener called xylitol from biomass, a process protected by patent application by Aberystwyth University. Professor Elizabeth Treasure, Vice Chancellor of Aberystwyth University said: “Universities make an impact on the everyday lives of people by taking their research from the academic arena to the wider world. Not only does this spinout demonstrate the commercial potential and the real-world impact of academic research, ARCITEKBio is also the first company to evolve directly from our University and make its base on our new Innovation and Enterprise Campus.” Dr Rhian Hayward is CEO of AberInnovation and said: “ARCITEKBio is the realisation of the partnership between IBERS and AberInnovation, and typifies the translation of the very best agri-science developed on this site into products and services. “We are pleased to host ARCITEKBio Ltd. (ABL) and look forward to their growth among our community of innovative companies.

ArcitekBio were recently featured by the BBC. ArcitekBio is a small company based at the AberInnovation campus and was founded by Abhishek Somani. The company makes xylitol, a low-calorie sweetener used as a healthier alternative to sugar in food and health products. Xylitol is widely produced from sugar in a chemical process which requires high heat and pressure, making it both expensive and non-environmentally friendly. Mr Somani and his team have developed a method where agricultural waste such as wheat straw is fermented to produce xylitol - a far cheaper and more environmentally friendly method. The AberInnovation campus allows scientists and entrepreneurs to collaborate AcitekBio, which already employs three people, is in the process of expanding and is looking to hire another member of staff. Mr Somani said the xylitol market is worth more than $1bn (£771m) globally, and is growing at 7% per year. "The sky's the limit," he added, explaining that the benefits of a cluster of businesses like AcitekBio would not only provide more higher-paid jobs in the area, but would also create jobs in the supply chain and in local services. For the full article please click go to: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54450990

What is Xylitol ? Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener found in plants, fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, raspberries, mushrooms and cauliflowers. It is a sugar alcohol, also known as a polyol, has a similar level of sweetness to sugar with a lower calorific impact and much lower glycaemic index than sugar. Unlike well-known naturally occurring sugars like fructose and dextrose, xylitol has five carbon atoms instead of six like glucose. This difference in molecular structure gives xylitol unique benefits and sets it apart from more commonly used sugars. Download >>