Cambridge Tech Podcast

Decarbonising heavy transport with Cambridge start-up HutanBio

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Episode notes

In this episode we hear from Paul Beastall, CEO of HutanBio who are on a journey that has taken decades of research, formation of the company in 2019, and a trajectory to commercialise a new kind of biofuel company that is truly inspirational.


We talk about the entrepreneurial relationship growing out of Cambridge University academics that took the team from the UK to Saudi Arabia, with a firm foothold now in Malaysia and the UK.


Paul talks about the different stages of research and company development, including the creation of a floating lab to identify the right organisms to create their unique HBx algal biofuel. This biofuel is set to transform heavy transport and provide a green alternative to the over a billion tons of oil used each year.


HutanBio recently raised their first Seed investment of £2.25m and are now set to grow, but notably in a super ethical way. They intend to desert land that is currently unutilised around the globe, and that can also provide employment for local communities. This is a great story of being intellectually based in Cambridge but spreading economic value elsewhere.


Not only was it a high-impact chat, but you’ll learn a huge amount about heavy transportation and the impact a transformative biofuel could have on the global environment.








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