Flexible Solutions and Lygos End Merger Plans
North American biochemical companies Flexible Solutions (FSI) and Lygos have called off their proposed merger. The companies did not give a reason for terminating the agreement, but said they remain committed to finding routes to sustainable aspartic acid and derivatives and would not let the end of their merger plans prevent them from working together in other ways.
In April this year the two sides announced they had agreed to combine in an all-stock transaction. In February 2021, FSI and its subsidiary NanoChem Solutions had made a strategic investment in Lygos to advance the latter’s bio-aspartic acid technology.
NanoChem Solutions specializes in biodegradable, water-soluble products using thermal polyaspartate (TPA) biopolymers, which are made from biological amino acid, L-aspartic and have wide usage in applications such as scale inhibitors, detergent ingredients, water treatment and crop enhancement.
Lygos, founded by a team of synthetic bioengineering experts at University of California Berkeley, has developed a smart technology platform to develop sustainable organic acid specialty chemicals and bio-monomers that are designed to replace fossil-based products.
Author: Elaine Burridge, Freelance Journalist
