Newlight Technologies Secures $125 Million to Propel Nike and Target Towards Zero Fossil-Based Plastics

Editorial TeamEditorial Team
|
August 8th, 2023
|
6:38 AM

Newlight Technologies is leveraging decarbonization technology to convert greenhouse gasses into versatile AirCarbon materials via microorganisms for Target, Nike, and H&M.

 

Newlight Technologies, Inc., a Huntington Beach, California-based purveyor of materials catering to an illustrious clientele including Target, H&M, and Nike, has declared a substantial triumph in its recent foray into the capital markets. The company has successfully garnered a princely sum of $125 million in a novel equity investment drive, a campaign spearheaded by none other than the decarbonization-centric investment platform, GenZero.

Newlight's modus operandi hinges on the adept utilization of decarbonization technology, a pioneering method that effectually transmutes greenhouse gases into a novel breed of materials christened AirCarbon. This transformation transpires courtesy of indigenous microorganisms which, in an intriguing orchestration of nature's artistry, devour the very greenhouse gases they've been fed, ultimately synthesizing a compound comparable to muscular tissue - polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) - within their cellular confines.

This PHB, a quintessential molecule for life on our terrestrial sphere, stands as a biological bastion for both energy and carbon storage. Upon purification, it acquires the malleability requisite for diverse applications across an array of materials.

 

 

Fueling Industries of Distinction: Newlight's AirCarbon Odyssey

At present, Newlight's creative endeavors culminate in the production of AirCarbon-based materials, an esteemed repertoire tailored for discerning industries encompassing fashion, entertainment, hospitality, automotive, and gastronomy. Nike, a veritable trailblazer, probed the feasibility of integrating Newlight's pioneering carbon-negative plastic-and-leather alternative into its offerings during the annals of 2021.

With their products reaching a sprawling network of over 5,000 global destinations, Newlight now stands poised, bolstered by this monumental investment, to amplify their AirCarbon manufacturing platform to a global scope. The narrative: harnessing greenhouse gases as a bounteous resource to usher in an epoch of decarbonized materials on an unprecedented scale.

In consort with GenZero's stewardship, this investment saga finds the harmonious participation of Oxy Low Carbon Ventures (OLCV), a subsidiary hailing from the Occidental (Oxy) stable, singularly dedicated to the advancement of low-carbon technologies. In tandem, Charter Next Generation (CNG), a renowned custodian of specialty films, and a discreet luxury connoisseur of global repute have lent their financial imprimatur.

 

 

Pioneering Visionaries Embrace Carbon-Neutral Frontiers

Frederick Teo, the insightful CEO of GenZero, offered his perspective to Newlight's narrative, emphasizing the transformative nature of their enterprise. He underscored the seamless convergence of technological prowess and nature's ingenuity in yielding exceptional biomaterials. Teo further championed the astute fusion of capturing greenhouse gases, like methane, to craft the remarkable creation known as AirCarbon, a pivotal step toward displacing fossil-fuel-derived plastics.

The ramifications reverberate as potent emissions reductions are within our grasp. GenZero, in staunch solidarity, extends its fervent support as Newlight embarks upon its next crescendo of growth, magnifying commercial production to satiate the burgeoning appetite for zero-carbon materials, thereby dispensing a resounding clarion call for decarbonization en masse."

The backdrop of recent years has witnessed an inexorable surge in the pursuit of sustainable alternatives within the dominion of fibers and materials. Notably, Goldwin, a discerning entity, unveiled its strategic intent to proffer products bedecked in Brewed Protein fiber, an ingenious microbial-derived fabric, a masterpiece of partnership with Spiber.

 

Forging a Vision of Sustainability and Progress

Newlight's acumen, not confined to singular pursuits, has culminated in agreements with CNG to propagate films bedecked with a halo of decarbonization through AirCarbon. A simultaneous collaboration with OLCV holds promise, harnessing direct air capture systems in a concerted endeavor to generate carbon dioxide feedstock tailored for AirCarbon's hallowed production precincts.

This monumental investment elixir shall facilitate Newlight's ascension, augmenting AirCarbon production at their California nexus whilst also adorning their narrative with the final strokes of a new edifice under construction in the heartland of Ohio. As the financial tapestry unfurls, Newlight Technologies stands poised at a juncture of transformation, a paradigm where innovation, sustainability, and industrious vision converge to engender a new chapter in the ever-evolving saga of mankind's engagement with materials and nature.