The start-up is investing €14 million to produce 150 tonnes/year of chitosans from plant and animal bioresources by 2023. The company is already planning to increase production capacity to 1,500 tonnes/year from 2025.

Alpha Chitin, a biobased chemistry start-up whose ambition is to become Europe's benchmark producer of chitin/chitosans, has laid the foundation stone for its production site on the Lacq platform (64).

A €14 M investment

This site represents an investment of 14 million euros, financed by the initial shareholders, Bpifrance, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département, the Bureau de développement économique et attractivité Adour (BDEA), the Communauté de communes de Lacq-Orthez (CCLO), banking partners (Crédit Agricole Pyrénées Gascogne, BNP, Caisse d'Épargne Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Société Générale), Financière Pouyanne and Total Energies Développement Régional.

In Lacq, the start-up, winner of the Plan de Relance pour l'Industrie "support for industrial investment and modernization", will scale up its processes and start marketing chitosans. The new plant, covering a total area of 1.2 ha (including utilities and production buildings), will comprise :

• A building for larval growth and mycelium production,
• An extraction and purification building equipped with bioreactors for production of up to 250 t/year,
• An R&D laboratory,
• An office zone.

Some 20 direct jobs by 2022

Since perfecting its process to ensure traceability, repeatability and quality control throughout the manufacture of chitin extracted from the insect Hermetia Illucens, Alpha Chitin has continued its research and development work. In addition to Hermetia Illucens, the start-up is now working with two new sources: Antarctic krill for the production of crystalline chitosans, and a mycelium chosen for the production of chitosans, notably Vegan.

"Chitosans, with their natural antibacterial and anti-fungal qualities, 100 % compatible with the human body, bring new perspectives and innovative solutions particularly in human health. We intend to meet the growing demand from French and European manufacturers and biotech companies by supplying them with pharmaceutical-grade chitosans with full traceability, which none of our competitors in the world can offer today. The Lacq platform is ideal for the deployment of our business, and TotalEnergies Développement Régional's support was invaluable from both a financial and logistical point of view, enabling us to conclude this construction operation within tight deadlines despite the health crisis.says Philippe Crochard, President of Alpha Chitin. 

"When we met the founders of Alpha Chitin, we were convinced by their advanced project and their clear vision of the market. We therefore decided to support them both industrially, with the help of Sobegi, and financially, for the construction of their production site in Lacq. The installation of Alpha Chitin contributes to the success of the industrial reconversion of the Lacq basin, a process to which TotalEnergies is very committed.says Isabelle Patrier, Director of Relations France and Regional Development at TotalEnergies.

"Having a production capacity for chitin molecules and chitosans in France is strategic. China, the world's main supplier of chitin and chitosan, limited exports during the health crisis that affected many French and European companies. We are therefore delighted that Alpha Chitin, the only French producer of chitosans, has set up in France.concludes Patrice Laurent, President of the Lacq-Orthez Community of Communes.

Ever more promising applications

Demand for chitin and chitosans is growing fast (+17 %/year), thanks to their many applications in fields as varied as water treatment, food and beverages, cosmetics, industry, biomedicine and pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals.

Alpha Chitin plans to begin marketing high value-added chitosans to healthcare players, manufacturers and biotechs with whom the company already has close relationships through collaborations. The start-up has targeted four main programs:

• Fungal chitosan for applications where fast qualification and vegan quality are important;
• Transporting molecules and/or using chitosans as adjuvants, for vaccines or targeted therapies, for example;
• Functionalization of chitosans for tissue engineering (production of bio-compatible skin);
• The development of an extrudable chitosan-based material to produce implantable and resorbable medical devices.

The ramp-up of Alpha Chitin's production site by 2025 (150 employees on site) will enable these developments to be carried out successfully. The company has set itself an ambitious timetable for the next 18 months, with several stages for :

• Part of the buildings available by the end of March 2022
• Integrate machines and processes by the end of May 2022
• Acceptance of the entire building by the end of May 2022
• Production testing in June and July 2022
• Start production of batches to be marketed in July 2022 to reach production of 150 tonnes/year in early 2023

As part of its roadmap, Alpha Chitin plans to launch a study to increase production to 1,500 tonnes per year by 2025. A major new fund-raising campaign will be launched in early 2023.

What's the difference between chitin and chitosan?

Chitin is the structural component of insects, crustaceans (mainly shrimps and crabs) and fungal cell walls. It is the second most abundant natural polysaccharide after cellulose.

Chitosan is obtained by deacetylating chitin, and can be functionalized according to the applications in which it will be used.

Alpha Chitin extracts chitin from the bioresources it has selected, solely in order to obtain the traceable raw material it will use in the production of its chitosans. The start-up will only market high value-added chitosans, which it will produce "on demand" according to its customers' planned applications.

At a time when the cosmetics industry is experiencing a growing demand from its consumers for products that are more respectful of the skin and the planet while maintaining efficacy and sensoriality, Seppic presents Sepiplus K, a rheology modifier. Launched worldwide for the cosmetics market, this concentrated liquid polymer, in addition to its high application performance, has been developed to give a touch of sensory elegance to particularly demanding formulas such as minimalist or "Clean Beauty" formulas.

Sepiplus K has already been on the market for a year in Asia, where it has met with rapid success. It has won the Ringier Technology Innovation Awards 2021 in China for its performance and its ability to cold formulate.

Sepiplus K is solvent-free, preservative-free and non-ethoxylated. It can be formulated cold and requires very little energy for processing, which is a considerable advantage for the development of more ecological formulas.

Not considered a microplastic*, Sepiplus K is a concentrated inverse emulsion. It offers high performance in terms of thickening, oil stabilization and resistance to electrolytes. Pre-neutralized, it is effective over a wide pH range of 3 to 12.

Sepiplus K provides a "silicone-like" slippery feel with a non-sticky finish. It has been scientifically proven in a study conducted in China according to the R3M** score that it activates positive consumer emotions, an important factor in the appreciation of cosmetic products.

_{*According to Background Document to the Opinion on the Annex XV report proposing restrictions on intentionally added microplastics (December 10, 2020).}

_{**Test conducted by Repères. As quickly as possible and without thinking, consumers must indicate 3 words that come spontaneously to mind after applying the product. An R3M score is calculated based on the grammatical nature, the logic of the utterance, the valence of the emotion, the ranking, the association between words and the consensus. The higher the score, the more positively the product activates emotions.}

During the Cosmetic 360 trade show, Biolie, a biotechnology company specialized in the development and production of natural ingredients by enzymatic extraction, formalized the granting of an exclusive patent license for the French West Indies-Guyana to Bio Stratège Guyane, an industrial eco-extraction laboratory in French Guiana, and Lafayette, a subsidiary of the Martinique Chamber of Commerce and Industry, dedicated to the valorization of Martinique's natural bioresources. The signature was carried out between the three parties on the stand of the territorial authority of French Guiana, which highlighted the activities of several actors of the natural raw materials sector in French Guiana and the local branch of Cosmetic Valley.

Biolie's patent protects an industrial enzymatic extraction technology that enables the valorization of plant biomasses and co-products from the agricultural, agri-food and forestry industries with minimal environmental impact. This patented technology leads to the production of original, green, active and innovative ingredients for many markets including cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

The local implementation of this unique technology will allow the development of high quality eco-friendly ingredients to promote the West Indies and Guyana and to encourage the valorization of the biodiversity of the French overseas territories for the national and international markets.

The signature of this tripartite license offers the opportunity to concretize a real partnership between the three companies Biolie, Bio Stratège Guyane and Lafayette. This scientific, technological and economic collaboration combines the strengths of the West Indies and French Guiana to meet the growing demand for natural products from tropical resources with French quality standards and European environmental guarantees. The companies will thus be able to work in synergy to make the most of Caribbean and Guyanese bioresources with local added value in a circular economy approach and in compliance with the Nagoya protocol.

Through this agreement, Biolie's technology further reduces its carbon footprint by locating enzymatic extraction equipment closer to raw materials and local experts. About Biolie

Biolie specializes in the development of natural ingredients, oils and plant actives for the cosmetic and health-nutrition markets. Thanks to the patented enzymatic extraction technology, the products are developed without the use of organic solvents, in a biorefinery concept. Each fraction of the plant is recovered as a natural ingredient or transformed into energy in a "zero waste" concept. Biolie offers a clean-label alternative to markets looking for natural, authentic, healthy products with high nutritional value and "eco-responsible" processes.

For over 10 years, Seppic has been offering natural solutions for nutraceuticals and oral beauty. With the launch of Sepitone, Seppic confirms its nutricosmetic expertise and offers a solution to achieve a natural healthy glow.

Consumers are increasingly interested in oral solutions for beautiful skin. In recent years, nutricosmetics has grown from a niche market to a full-fledged market of nearly $7 billion¹.

Beautiful and healthy skin can be defined by different parameters, such as the uniformity and color of the complexion, as well as the smoothness of the skin. A diet rich in antioxidants can improve all three factors. Made without additives or preservatives, Sepitone is a natural ingredient, obtained from fermented wild blueberry extract, offering a unique richness in proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins exert a powerful protection against oxidative stress, whose beneficial effects on collagen, skin elasticity and blood circulation have been described in the scientific literature.

The effectiveness of Sepitone was demonstrated on a panel of 60 women with dull skin in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, during which beneficial effects were observed on: skin color, skin tone uniformity, skin roughness and harmonization of skin microcirculation². 

Léa Marchal, Product Marketing Manager states: "This new active ingredient, launched at Vitafoods 2021 in Geneva, combines effectiveness and naturalness. It is an example of Seppic's expertise in nutricosmetics. Seppic's teams design ingredients driven by science and responding to consumers' search for naturalness."

_{1. Mordor Intelligence, Nutricosmetics Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 impact and Forecasts (2021-2026)}

_{2. Shi J, Yu J, Pohorly JE, Kakuda Y. Polyphenolics in grape seeds-biochemistry and functionality. J Med Food. 2003 Winter;6(4):291-9. doi: 10.1089/109662003772519831. PMID: 14977436}