Canadian bioplastics provider Solegear partnering with National Research Council

Vancouver, B.C.-based bioplastics technology firm Solegear Bioplastics Inc. has teamed up with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to jointly develop new bioplastic using their respective proprietary formulations and technologies.

“The Polymer Bioproducts team at the NRC is world-renowned for their understanding and expertise in stabilizing bioplastics, and is a great fit with our technology for modifying specific performance characteristics of bioplastics,” said Solegear founder and CEO Toby Reid. “This project sets the stage to deliver significant technology breakthroughs that would be otherwise unachievable if we both worked independently.”

Solegear has been partnering with Ottawa, Ont.-based NRC since 2007, Reid added.  

Solegear is currently producing bioplastics on a commercial scale. The company’s bioplastics production process takes in fermented plant starch as its primary feedstock. The fermented starch essentially serves as a molecular backbone of Solegear’s proprietary polymers; the material is thermally compounded with a number of proprietary inputs to create a bio-based polymer suitable for use in high-performance applications.

Three months ago, the company secured Series A financing from investment firm Yaletown Venture Partners and a number of leading angel investors.