Danish biotech startup Visibuilt announced it has raised €1.3 million in funding to further develop its innovative fermented binder, visiBIT, designed to replace traditional bitumen in asphalt production. This funding comes from the BioInnovation Institute’s Venture House program, which aims to support early-stage startups.
Visibuilt’s binder, derived from fermented mycelium, offers a sustainable alternative that could significantly reduce CO2 emissions in road construction.
“The BioInnovation Institute has accelerated the maturation of Visibuilt from early proof-of-concept to full product research, with a dedicated team behind it and our patent-pending technology being validated with asphalt industry partners. With BII’s continuous support, we will now focus on bringing visiBIT out of the laboratory and into more outdoor field tests with customers,”
says founder and CEO Line Kloster Pedersen
The startup has increased the strength of visiBIT by 300% within 1.5 years, and test areas using the binder have already been constructed in collaboration with industry partners. Visibuilt is now focusing on scaling production and moving towards larger-scale testing, aiming to revolutionize the asphalt industry, which has long relied on bitumen, a byproduct of crude oil refining.
The funding will enable the company to hire a Head of Production and additional scientists, as it plans to expand beyond initial applications, such as bike paths, to broader uses in road construction. With 60% of the world’s roads still to be built by 2050, Visibuilt’s technology represents a significant step toward sustainable infrastructure.
