Pegasus Materials debuts bio-based specialty materials

Pegasus Materials BV, a Dutch materials company combining chemistry, material science and biomanufacturing, has announced the debut of its first two materials and the expansion of its seed round. The new investment by venture studio Ferment and existing investor LIOF, alongside prior investment from Fibrant BV, will accelerate commercial scale-up of Pegasus’s products for the electronics, data center and aerospace industries, according to a media release.

Pegasus Materials develops new classes of materials that merge the design flexibility of biology with the traditional toolkits of industrial chemistry. The company uses bio-based chemical building blocks to develop unique materials solving unmet needs of customers with the most demanding performance requirements, while also being made from renewable sources with lower greenhouse gas emissions.

“Our customers are pushing the limits of what materials need to do, whether it’s creating smaller parts, withstanding higher temperatures, or managing mechanical stress,” said Richard Pieters, Co-Founder and CEO of Pegasus Materials. “By combining new bio-based chemistries with deep material science know-how, we can achieve the unique performance specs that customers are looking for and also pair this with a smaller environmental footprint.”

Virela-X001 is a bio-based high heat polyamide that combines high flow for smaller, more precise molding with ultra-low moisture uptake to reduce warping and blistering during production. The second material, Virela-X002, is a partially bio-based polyimide for industrial 3D printing. It combines exceptional isotropic strength — equally strong in every direction — and high heat tolerance, making it possible to print durable, lightweight components, the press release said.  

“Pegasus Materials shows how biology adds enormous value when it’s pointed at the hardest problems in materials,” said Brian Brazeau, Partner at Ferment. “Pegasus starts with clear customer goals — like faster data transfer or lower manufacturing defect rates — and applies biotechnology and chemistry together using ML to reach performance demands efficiently and sustainably.”  

“With Ferment’s deep expertise in industrial biotechnology and Fibrant’s strong materials knowledge, we now have an exceptional amount of smart money on board,” Jeffrey Lutje Spelberg, investment manager at LIOF, said. “This positions Pegasus Materials for success -- both for the Limburg region and far beyond.”