OAKLAND, Calif., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Biosphere, a U.S.-based leader in biomanufacturing technology, today announced the acquisition of NovoNutrients, a pioneer in gas fermentation, reactor design, and industrial bioprocess development. Biosphere's UV sterilization platform replaces conventional steam-based sterilization, expanding the design space for high-performance bioreactors. The NovoNutrients acquisition accelerates the application of their platform to intensified reactor designs, giving Biosphere a strong foundation in gas fermentation and high-intensity aerobic fermentation for a wide range of defense, industrial, and commercial applications.
"At Biosphere, we see immense potential in developing next-generation reactor designs for intensified bioprocessing," said Brian Heligman, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO of Biosphere. “The NovoNutrients platform plays perfectly into our active Department of War contracts and gives us a strong foundation with an established FEL3 design of a loop reactor pilot plant. We are excited to further develop this technology and leverage its high mass-transfer performance for bioprocessing of both next-generation gas and carbohydrate feedstocks.”
NovoNutrients' proprietary loop reactor technology was designed to address one of the most significant challenges in industrial biomanufacturing: efficiently transferring gaseous feedstocks into biological systems at scale. The reactor architecture improves gas-liquid mass transfer and fluid circulation while reducing the energy and maintenance requirements associated with traditional mechanically agitated bioreactors. The technology has been validated at multiple scales, from laboratory development through containerized pilot systems, and has informed the design and modeling of commercial-scale reactors.
The acquisition represents a significant step in Biosphere's broader mission to build infrastructure for the emerging bioindustrial economy, expanding its technical and operational capabilities at a time when governments and industry are prioritizing domestic manufacturing resilience, supply chain security, and bioindustrial capacity. It also builds on Biosphere's recent momentum, including a $9 million agreement with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC) to develop modular biomanufacturing systems capable of producing nutrition in austere environments, while strengthening the company's ability to pursue new opportunities across defense supply chain, industrial manufacturing, specialty chemicals, and advanced materials.
About Biosphere
Biosphere is developing next-generation biomanufacturing systems designed for scale, reliability, and cost efficiency. By replacing traditional steam-based infrastructure with proprietary UV sterilization, the company enables simpler, modular production that can be deployed anywhere. Biosphere serves as a manufacturing partner for the bioeconomy, supporting the production of food, fuels, chemicals, and materials through efficient, rapidly deployable systems. Its platform is designed to unlock new categories of bioproduction and strengthen domestic supply chains. For more information, visit www.biosphere.io
About NovoNutrients
Founded in 2017 and based in Sunnyvale, California, NovoNutrients developed a gas fermentation platform for converting industrial CO2 emissions and hydrogen into single cell protein for food and feed applications. The company raised more than $22 million across multiple rounds, including an $18 million Series A led by Woodside Energy and CM Venture Capital, with earlier backing from SOSV/IndieBio and other investors. The company's intellectual property, microbial strains, and accumulated process expertise are now part of Biosphere.
Media Contact
Emily Richard
Communications Strategy Group (CSG)
erichard@wearecsg.com
