Mk2 Biotechnologies develops, produces, and researches peptides of the highest purity and quality using a synthesis technology. The founders explain exactly what this technology entails and why it doesn't require reinventing the wheel in these 7 questions.
1. Who are you and what do you do?
Conventional chemical materials are increasingly reaching their limits, particularly in the cosmetics, agriculture, and pharmaceutical industries. This is reflected, for example, in the increasing spread of antibiotic resistance and the alarming decline in insect populations. New classes of materials are urgently needed to replace these collateral chemical materials and usher in a new bio-based era. Peptides, small proteins, are considered one of the hot candidates for overcoming many major societal challenges.
We, Konstantinos (32, physicist/chemist), Sebastian (35, businessman), and Marco (32, chemist), have developed a process that allows any desired high-purity peptide to be produced through fermentation. This means that, similar to the yeast used in beer and wine production to produce alcohol, we also allow specifically adapted microorganisms to produce our target peptides, which we can then purify and isolate in a simple step.
While the biological synthesis pathway itself is already established, there have been major problems with peptide purification. Contaminated peptides, often contaminated with toxic chemicals, cannot be readily used in biological environments and require complex purification. Our peptides are already so pure due to the process that they can be used directly by the user without any detours.
Scaling effects should bring success
2. But that has been around for a long time!
Sure, there's nothing that doesn't already exist. But at what price? We've focused exclusively on eliminating existing bottlenecks in the value chain. To do this, we've only added innovations to the current industry standard at its critical points, thus ensuring consistent scalability throughout the production chain. This meant we didn't have to reinvent the wheel; instead, we can largely rely on conventional process steps: The potential savings in manufacturing costs amount to several orders of magnitude. The bottom line is that, thanks to economies of scale, we can now produce peptides for the first time at such low costs that they are actually relevant for exciting mass applications.
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Prioritizing large construction projects that regularly appear unexpectedly from the sky and for which we are neither trained nor prepared was and remains the greatest challenge. This can be due to fundamental differences of opinion within the team as well as technical difficulties. Even if you always want to solve everything immediately, you often have to weigh priorities and sometimes let problems lie. Constantly putting out fires makes you unhappy and unproductive.
The business — is not running yet
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
The business? It's not working at all, but that's not even on the agenda right now. We're still in the development phase, where we want to qualify our platform technology for scaling. It's not unusual for technologically complex spin-offs to take several years to generate revenue. However, we've raised over €1 million so far and have already received clear signals that the next round of financing should also work out. At the same time, many of the ongoing discussions with potential customers and cooperation partners are promising. All of this, coupled with our technological advances, allows us to look to the near and distant future with confidence.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Three of the four founders grew up in the greater Munich area, and all four studied and earned their doctorates here. Munich and its surrounding areas, from Straubing to Schwangau and from Ingolstadt to Fischbachau, are our home. At the same time, Mk2 Biotechnologies wouldn't exist if Munich weren't also a center of science and high-tech: After all, we also grew up at the university. A thriving high-tech landscape, top universities, and liquid investors offer ideal opportunities to find good partners and employees—both essential for successful development.
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
To become a unicorn, you have to have insane growth ambitions, ideally in the end-customer business, which means investing a lot of money and pushing the accelerator to the floor. If that goes wrong, you can truly call it an epic fail. However, the strategy doesn't suit us as people. We want to generate not only market capitalization, but also good content, and that takes time and a lot of diligence. Our industry and customers think a lot like us, and we expect the same from our investors. Anything else would bring disappointment and conflict. With a lot of patience and perseverance, we too could become a unicorn after a few years, albeit rather quietly and in the background. And so, apart from industry insiders, hardly anyone would take notice of a potential failure.
7. Isar or English Garden?
Definitely the Isar: Cycle upstream, and on the way back, stop for a traditional Obatzden (traditional German sausage) at the Waldwirtschaft (forest inn). Alternatively, take the S7 train in the morning by dinghy; the rest is self-explanatory.
