Pyran Moves Closer to Commercialization with Recent $3M Investment from Kowa

MADISON, Wisc. and NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 17, 2024 – Pyran, Inc. continues its trajectory toward building a world-scale commercial plant for 1,5-pentanediol (PDO) – its high-performance, bio-based diol product – after closing its latest round of fundraising, which includes a $3 million investment from the lead investor, Kowa. Pyran’s Series B equity funding round raised over $5 million with investor support from Kowa and long-term investors such as the venture arm of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and Arosa Capital.

“This strong investor support further fuels our ability to scale our technology and complete the necessary steps to begin operating a world-scale commercial plant with renewable feedstocks in 2027,” said Kevin Barnett, Pyran co-founder and chief technology officer.

Pyran CEO Mel Luetkens added: “This latest investment from Kowa reinforces our ability to expand our high-performance, cost-efficient products and technology portfolio. We are pleased that Kowa shares Pyran’s vision for the potential of bio-based, 1,5 PDO and contributing the resources needed for commercialization.”

With the latest fundraising round, the renewable chemicals company has completed its REACh registration in Europe, will complete its engineering design this month, and has narrowed its site selection for its commercial plant. Pyran has already validated its technology on a demonstration scale and expanded sales of 1,5 PDO to select pre-approved customers. It is further looking to scale its technology using toll production until a commercial plant is operational in 2027.

“This investment allows us to expand our role in the bio-based specialty chemicals value chain, in which we have growing global market access, with a new product and opportunities for derivatives that have wide ranging impact on making everyday products more sustainable, and with a talented team with whom we have developed a very good working relationship,” said Satoshi Hata, Kowa Holdings America’s President.

Transforming and Scaling its Technology

To date, Pyran has raised approximately $12.5 million in total investments since its founding in 2018.

The company continues to transform and scale its technology into meaningful commercial solutions for several industries. It has produced tons of bio-based products and sells them to early customers to qualify them for bio-based products in their targeted markets and applications.

Pyran uses intermediates from renewable feedstocks, such as corn cobs, wood and sugarcane bagasse, to make 1,5 PDO, enhancing the performance of everyday products such as paints, coatings, adhesives and more. The company’s renewable 5-carbon products, including 1,5 PDO, replace expensive and supply-constrained petroleum-based chemicals.

Customers interested in more information about 1,5 PDO should complete the contact form on Pyran’s website (https://pyranco.com/contact/).

Media Contact:

Marina Marich

+1 202-288-6868

marina@dobrocommunications.com

About Pyran, Inc.

Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, Pyran, Inc. is a rapidly growing company that uses intermediates from renewable feedstocks, from resources such as corn cobs, wood and sugarcane bagasse, to make 1,5-pentanediol – a critical ingredient that enhances the performance of everyday materials, such as paints, coatings, adhesives and more. The company replaces expensive petroleum-based chemicals with its renewable 5-carbon products, allowing customers to expand the supply of better-performing, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient products. To learn more, visit www.pyranco.com.

About Kowa Holdings America, Inc.

Kowa Holdings America, Inc., established in 1988 as La Esperanza Delaware Corporation in the US and changed the company name to Kowa Holdings America in 2017, is Kowa’s administration center in the Americas for the purpose of portfolio and investment management. Its subsidiary, Kowa American Corporation, offers a wide variety of specialty chemical solutions in the Americas. For more information, please visit https://kowachemical.com/.

About Kowa Group

Kowa, founded in 1894 as a cotton fabric wholesaler in Japan, has grown into a global enterprise actively engaged in various business activities from research to manufacturing and sales of medicines, medical equipment, food, optical products, energy-saving products, energy-generating products as well as trading of a wide range of commodities, textiles, vessels, machinery and chemicals. The company has embarked on its journey to provide customers with sustainable environmental and infrastructure solutions. For more information, please visit www.kowa.co.jp/eng/.