On August 12, 2021, Debut Biotech, a next-generation biomanufacturing platform harnessing cell-free enzymes, announced a $22.6 million Series A financing led by Boston-based VC fund Material Impact. Other participating investors included Cultivian Sandbox Ventures, Fine Structure Ventures, ACVC Ventures, Humboldt Fund, and Carlos Ventures, as well as existing investors including KdT Ventures. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Material Impact on the transaction.

Debut Biotech will use the proceeds from the Series A to commercialize ingredients developed from its proprietary cell-free biomanufacturing platform, which has applications across various industries, from food and wellness products to cosmetics, colors, therapeutics, and other industrial applications.

“We’re thrilled to be leading this investment in Debut Biotech,” said Corinna Chen, partner at Material Impact. “Biology is the greatest opportunity of our lifetime. At Material Impact, we believe that a majority of high-value ingredients in new products will be biomanufactured in the near future and beyond. It’s clear to us that Debut Biotech is the company that is leading the way. By leveraging enzymes in a continuous cell-free system, they have created an entirely new methodology for developing novel and more sustainable products that are ubiquitous in our lives.”

The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Material Impact on the transaction includes:

Corporate
Mark Solakian
Amanda Creedon
Drew Kohlmeier

Technology Transactions
Mark Bellomy
Tony Nguyen

For more information, please see the companies’ press release.