Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-icap No.2 Fund"), with Kyoto University Innovation Capital Corporation ("Kyoto iCAP") (Head office: Sakyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Ko Kusumi) as general partner, has made an additional investment in Symbiobe Inc. (Head office: Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto; Representative Director: Koji Ito), a venture company originating from Kyoto University.

Overview of this investment
    Symbiobe is a Kyoto University venture established in January 2021, which is attempting to fix CO2 and N2 by marine photosynthetic bacteria, the results of research by Professor Keiji Numata of the Department of Materials Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, and to convert the biopolymers produced from the fixation into resources. Symbiobe has constructed a demonstration plant for the cultivation of marine photosynthetic bacteria, and has succeeded in the fixation of greenhouse gases by marine photosynthetic bacteria. The company has also prepared three products from the fixed greenhouse gases, Air Silk® (protein fiber), Air Feed® (feed for aquaculture), and Air Fertilizer® (nitrogen fertilizer), and is building a unique greenhouse gas resource platform.

    Kyoto-iCAP has made an additional investment of approximately 80 million yen through a third-party allocation of new shares in the hope that Symbiobe's marine photosynthetic bacteria will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society by fixing greenhouse gases and their resource conversion technology. The total amount raised is approximately 800 million yen, and Symbiobe will use the funds raised this time to accelerate the research and development of its marine photosynthetic bacteria cultivation plant business and its practical application.

Overview of Symbiobe Inc.
Establishment : January 2021
Business : Research and development, manufacturing and sales of greenhouse gas fixation using photosynthetic organisms and production of industrial biomaterials, nitrogen fertilizers for agriculture and feed for aquaculture
Head Office: Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Representative Director: Koji Ito
HP:https://www.symbiobe.jp/

About Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (Kyoto-iCAP)
    As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kyoto University, KYOTO-iCAP provides investment and other business support to companies that utilize research results generated by Kyoto University and other national universities. We currently operate the Innovation Kyoto 2016 Investment Limited Partnership ("KYOTO-iCAP 1 Fund") (established in January 2016) with a total value of 16 billion yen and the KYOTO-iCAP 2 Fund (established in January 2021) with a total value of 18 billion yen. The KYOTO-iCAP No. 1 Fund has a maturity of up to 20 years, and the KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund has a maturity of up to 17 years, making it possible to provide long-term support for the practical application of research results from Kyoto University, which has strengths in basic research. The KYOTO-iCAP 2 Fund has a maximum maturity of 17 years. In addition, KYOTO-iCAP No. 2 Fund will invest a portion of the funds in ventures originating from national universities other than Kyoto University.

Contact information for inquiries
Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd.
36-1 Yoshida Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8317, Japan
Osami Kono, Senior Officer, Business Development Department
TEL: 075-753-7588 FAX: 075-753-7592
E-mail: info@kyoto-unicap.co.jp