The growing demand for bio-based chemicals cannot be sustainably met with current processes that use food-grade crops from a pressured global supply. Sonichem have developed a cleaner, scalable and patented process that produces virtually no waste. It turns low-value woody biomass, which is normally burned, into high value, sustainable biochemicals such as high-quality lignin. This has potential applications in replacing the toxic petrochemical phenol in bio-sourced resins. The company was awarded the best enabling technology prize in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s emerging technology competition.
Miranda Lindsay-Fynn is Sonichem’s commercial director and is responsible for business development and marketing. Currently, her role involves building awareness of their technology and developing a route to market for their products through research and development partnerships and collaborations.
As Sonichem approaches a commercial tipping point from an R&D led company to a commercial company, Miranda recognises the need to shift her focus from market research and R&D partnerships to a more sales-oriented, commercially driven approach. She acknowledges that her team will also grow rapidly as they get ready to deploy the technology through licencing and joint ventures.
She recognises a need to enhance her leadership skills, particularly in building and leading high-performing sales teams to support the change in the business. She says: “the Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme offers the ideal platform to engage with experienced mentors and industry experts who can guide me in mastering the art of negotiation and establishing and nurturing a motivated sales force.” She is also eagerly anticipating the leadership workshops and the opportunity the Shott Scale Up Accelerator will provide for collaboration and to share knowledge.
Over the 12 months of the Shott Scale Up Accelerator, Sonichem will be in the planning phase of their first of a kind commercial plant to be built in 2025. This will involve securing Letters of Intent and negotiating long-term contracts for the biochemical products that the plant will produce. The global bio-based chemical market is expected to exceed $100 billion by 2028 and Sonichem’s innovative process offers a significant opportunity to capture a share of this lucrative market.
