Profile / Overview

TMO Biotec Limited is a British biotechnology company developing processes that will enable a range of liquid fuels and industrial chemicals to be produced from all manner of plant matter, and which will consequently deliver significant environmental and economic advantages.

TMO was founded by a group of individuals with extensive experience in chemicals, fuels and technology industries.  They recognised that TMO’s areas of expertise could harness significant market opportunities and have assembled unparalleled knowledge of the technology itself and potential markets.

Background

There are a number of issues facing the fuels and chemical industries today:

·         Raw Materials – the vast majority of fuels and chemicals produced today are derivatives of either crude oil or to lesser extent common foodstuffs.  Oil production is projected to peak in the next 20-40 years while foodstuffs (such as cane sugar and cereals) have alternative uses and values. A sustainable, renewable and economic raw material to replace these must be found.

·         Mature Existing Technologies – many current production processes have been developed over decades, are extremely efficient and have little room for process economics improvement.  New technologies are required to make significant progress in this area.

·         Environmental Pressures – one of the key concerns for producers and regulatory agencies is to minimize the pollution caused by production facilities.  New technologies will need to be environmentally-friendly.

·         Green Products – governments around the world are providing incentives for companies producing green products and disincentives to those producers that do not utilise available green alternatives to current products.  Producers moving into these fields will reap considerable financial rewards.

Technology

TMO’s technology is based upon a unique group of micro-organisms known as Thermophiles.  Thermophiles exhibit a collection of characteristics that make them outstandingly suitable to become the industrial workhorses of the fuels and chemical industries. 

Certain Thermophiles can utilise many of the sugars found in plant matter (“biomass”) and convert them into specific chemicals and fuels.  Thermophiles also have characteristics which will enable them to significantly improve process technologies currently utilized.

Summary

TMO Biotec has a variety of unique selling points that make it attractive:

·         Unique characteristics of thermophiles – thermophiles are uniquely suited to become industrial workhorses for chemicals production in the future;

·         Significant IP Position – TMO Biotec has secured exclusive rights to the world’s largest collection of thermophiles and is actively expanding that technology base;

·         Management knowledge & experience – management have extensive experience of the chemicals and liquid fuel industries which they combine with detailed knowledge of thermophiles;

·         Market opportunities – TMO Biotec is initially focusing on a small group of applications, all of which have strong industry drivers and significant market potential and which provide long-term, sustainable revenue potential;

·         Market approach – TMO Biotec is working extensively with the chemical industry to raise its awareness and active interest in the application of thermophile technology in their businesses;

·         Competition – TMO Biotec is not aware of any significant competitors in its field.