Invest in bio-based chemicals and start a ripple of change
Petrochemicals permeate every nook and cranny of modern society, playing an integral role in the production of everything from plastics and pharmaceuticals to cosmetics and carbon fibres.(1) However, with the term ‘sustainability’ on everybody’s lips, the call to kick our fossil fuel habit has never been louder. It is the collective responsibility of industry giants, small companies and consumers alike to reduce their reliance on oil-based chemicals. Fortunately, Sonichem is making it easy to invest in the future of the planet, offering individuals and organisations the chance to become stakeholders and support our ultra-clean biorefinery technology that is transforming by-products from the forestry sector into sustainable, bio-based chemicals. We are seeking investment through crowdfunding, giving investors the opportunity to join us on our journey towards a cleaner, greener world.
Crowdfunding is all about coming together as a community to support exciting projects and businesses, and companies like Seedrs – a prominent pan-European investment platform – make it easier than ever to get involved. Sonichem is giving investors the chance to buy shares* in our proprietary ultrasound biorefinery venture, by launching a crowdfunding campaign on Seedrs. This opportunity offers an easy way for eco-conscious individuals to become Sonichem shareholders, and prospective investors don’t need a hefty bankroll to participate. In fact, it is possible to secure a stake in Sonichem with as little as £10.
By investing in Sonichem, you’re committing to joining our mission to develop green, bio-based chemicals. In addition, shareholders will enjoy several benefits of ownership, such as a collective say in the decisions we make and the opportunity to share in our success. The Seedrs nominee structure means that the investment platform will generally exercise these rights on your behalf, while offering protection for your investment. The global transition towards sustainability is creating vast opportunities in the chemicals industry (2) so we are well positioned to make a significant impact, with the potential for substantial returns on your investment! Aside from financial benefits, there are so many good reasons to consider investing in Sonichem’s ultrasonic biorefinery technologies.
As a Sonichem shareholder, you can help us to repurpose the millions of tons of forestry and agricultural by-products that are either underused, wasted or destroyed each year. At the moment, only 55 percent of the wood from a felled tree emerges from the sawmill as construction timber, while the other 45 percent becomes woodchips and sawdust (3.) Downgrading the value of an already-dwindling source of raw materials already represents a significant waste of resources but, to make matters worse, these low-value by-products are often burnt, contributing to global CO2 emissions. With your investment, we can continue to transform the way that society handles woody biomass.
Your investment in Sonichem will help us to expand our production of green chemicals from plant waste. Our patented biorefinery process harnesses both chemistry and ultrasound technologies to break down woody biomass into its three constituent components: sugars, cellulose and lignin. Ultrasound induces a powerful phenomenon called cavitation within the woody biomass, generating significant physical and chemical forces that turn every £1 of simple sawdust into £8 of sustainable, bio-based chemicals that, in turn, can displace finite petrochemicals in a wide range of materials and products.
Maximising the value of our world’s green resources can benefit foresters and farmers, producers, and consumers alike. The forestry and agricultural sectors are under increasing pressure to minimise their impact on the environment, while increasing their outputs to feed and fuel an ever-growing population. In addition, producers are faced with looming net-zero goals, and are constantly seeking more sustainable materials to reduce their reliance on petrochemicals. Thankfully, consumers too are becoming increasingly environmentally-conscious; investing in our bio-based chemicals can provide them with the peace of mind that they are contributing to traceable, sustainable products with a low environmental impact.
Now at the pilot stage, Sonichem has already received significant attention from investors and industry leaders. It was the winner of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘Best Enabling Technology’ prize in 2021, and its technology was at the heart of a consortium that was awarded a £2.5 million grant to fund the building of its first-ever pilot plant. It has also won iCAST research awards, as well as a Scottish innovation award with Glasgow University, and is leading a consortium that has just been awarded a £600,000 Innovate UK collaboration grant to make net-zero materials that will replace plastics in car interiors. These excellent opportunities have been the driving force behind Sonichem’s past successes, but now, with the help of crowdfunding, we are looking to take our success one step further.
Our goal is to raise £1.1 million of investment to expand our pilot plant operations and fund the design of our first commercial biorefinery, to scale up our production of green chemicals to thousands of tonnes per year. Our future plans include international licensing of our technology, which will allow our process to break down waste from sugarcane and palm oil production into sustainable chemicals. Every little helps, so visit our Seedrs crowdfunding page today to see how your investment can help to create a greener, more sustainable future for us all.
* As with all investments, don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest.
References
- The Future of Petrochemicals. 2018. International Energy Agency. Accessed: 26 October 2023. Available at: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-petrochemicals.
- Bio-based platform chemicals market size. 2023. The International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group. Accessed: 26 October 2023. Available at: https://www.imarcgroup.com/bio-based-platform-chemicals-market.
- Antwi-Boasiako, C. and Acheampong, B. 2016. Strength properties and calorific values of sawdust-briquettes as wood-residue energy generation source from tropical hardwoods of different densities. Biomass and Bioenergy, 85, 144-152. doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2015.12.006.
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