If there’s one word that goes well with sustainable development, it’s this one: BIOTECH!

I wrote it like this, in capital letters, “in English” and with an exclamation mark, because it’s a good way to draw your attention right away to the importance of this field of scientific innovation. And in this area – biotechnology –, my friend, Brazil has everything it needs to be a p-r-o-t-a-g-o-n-i-s-t.

After all,  biodiversity is our thing… . In addition to the solid tradition in research related to life sciences, with several PhDs and Champions League-level scientists. And since I’m being nice, here’s a spoiler: this year, at COP 30, which will be held in November in Belém, you’ll hear a lot about biotechnology. Oh, you will!

So, now, “fifth graders”, you can take a seat, because this is going to be a hot topic. Relevant to the planet and full of opportunities for startups. And also, obviously, for those who sign the check: the venture capital sector.

Does everyone understand? Let’s get started.

It is important to keep in mind that the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, which will bring together world leaders, scientists and non-governmental organizations to discuss actions to combat the issue, will be held for the first time in Brazil. And in the Amazon.

Official banner of COP 30. (Image: https://cop30.br/pt-br)

I know, this is not new and seems obvious, but it puts the spotlight on our ecosystems of innovation in sustainability. Actions to combat climate change and preserve biomes will be at the center of the conversation. In this context, the bioeconomy, as well as its economic arrangements linked to biodiversity – something very important for the sustenance of communities living in the Amazon – will also be highlighted.

But there is a comma in this sentence. And it lacks perception, not understanding. Which one? Biotechnology. Yes, biotechnology itself, because it is one of the facets of the bioeconomy. Didn’t connect the dots? Calm down, let’s go… Check out this explanation from the Institute of Advanced Research (IPEA) in the study “Brazil 2025 – Scenarios for Development:

“…in general, the bioeconomy can be defined as an economy in which the basic pillars of production, such as materials, chemicals and energy, are derived from renewable biological resources. In this ‘new’ economy, the transformation of biomass plays a central role in the production of food, pharmaceuticals, fibers, industrial products and energy. The difference between the bioeconomy of the past and the current one is that the latter is based on the intensive use of new scientific and technological knowledge, such as that produced by BIOTECHNOLOGY, genomics, synthetic biology, bio-computer sciences and genetic engineering, which contribute to the development of technology-based processes and the transformation of goods and services.”

The emphasis is ours. But let’s add some color. Pay attention to this excerpt:

“The difference between the bioeconomy of the past and the current one is that the latter is based on the intensive use of new scientific and technological knowledge, such as that produced by BIOTECHNOLOGY.”

Did you get it? This is where biotech startups come into play, the support of venture capital and also another extremely important word – “in English, of course” – that is connected to all of this: deep techs.

Editor’s note: according to the non-governmental organization Wylinka, in the report “Investing in Deep Techs”, “deep techs are innovation initiatives that base their solutions on scientific knowledge that present high development complexity. We consider here those startups that work with products based on the frontier of knowledge in different areas.”

Having made this initial clarification, it is important to take note of the fact that deep tech is the largest umbrella, which includes biotechnology. Any doubts so far? No. Let’s continue…

So, thinking about COP 30 and Brazilian biomes, we can take a deep dive into science, intuition and ancestral knowledge, without fear of being happy. Because it is worth observing an issue that permeates the climate agenda. Which one? The one that seeks to preserve the forest and guarantee quality of life for the population that lives there. In short, biodiversity, whether Amazonian or any other. Or, diving a little deeper, plant molecules, which can be used or transformed into biotechnological products developed to bring quality to human and animal health, in addition to pest control through biological solutions.

KPTL has a long history in this area. It has already invested 55 times in deep tech, 22 of which in biotech. “We are the house with the most experience in biotechnology in Brazil. We have invested in biotech since our first fund, back in 2006, and since then we have supported biotechnology for several of these sectors, from human and animal health to agriculture, among other areas,” explains Ramalho.

Startups

One of the biotechs supported by KPTL is Ages Bioactive. Founded in 2020, it is the first company in Brazil focused on longevity and health span. What?!? H-e-a-l-t-h-s-p-a-n which means “healthy lifespan”. Yayyyyy! !

With the purpose of helping people deal better with the passage of time, maintaining quality of life, Ages produces natural bioactive compounds, from the Amazon biome, which help prevent factors related to health decline. All scientific and research development takes place at the Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP), in the Pharmaceutical Research Laboratory, and is led by Professor José Carlos Tavares, scientific director of Research & Development, co-founder of Ages and member of the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy of Spain.

Keep learning 5th Grade… Did you take notes?!?

Boy… If what? Senescence. In Portuguese, the natural aging process of the human body.

But for this, “guess what?”, the Amazon is essential. “We have to think of the Amazon as a breeding ground for opportunities to generate new pharmaceuticals, to generate biocosmetics that are competitive not only in Brazil, but abroad”, says the co-founder of Ages, a startup that received investments from the KPTL Forest and Climate Fund in the order of BRL 4 million.

However, in this large universe that encompasses innovation, science and sustainability, there are companies that, in addition to being bio-techs, are at the same time deep techs, even though they can operate in different segments, such as agriculture, animal health and nanotechnology, for example. This is the case of the startups Life Biological Control, Eleve Science and Nanoscoping, all supported by KPTL.

In the case of Life Biological Control, created in 2022 and headquartered in Piracicaba (SP), the focus is on developing sustainable technologies for pest control in agriculture. The company was founded by the realization that strengthening sustainability, environmental awareness and ESG agendas would open space for biological and 100% natural products. In the case of the field, this means replacing pesticides with “little bugs” that will kill those damned pests that devastate crops (they are “biological agents”, in the jargon of the sector). The name of this process is biological control, and its benefit is to remove the poison from the game and replace it with a more sustainable, healthy and biological solution. In this segment, biotechnology can help in the development of bioinsecticides, bio fungicides and bio-antibacterials, among others.

Life Biological Control already has two products in its portfolio and sold throughout Brazil: Destroyer SF and Defender Soy. I know they sound like the names of a Californian heavy metal band or a game, but in fact we are talking about bio defensives based on viruses. That’s right, “viruses”.

One of the startup’s concerns, she says, was to develop biological products designed for the reality of Brazilian agriculture. “We know that Brazil has a completely different climate from other countries. Consequently, pests here also behave differently, are more aggressive in the field and cause extremely severe damage,” she says. “So having a biological technology specific to our pests makes all the difference,” she explains. Life Biological Control’s products, according to Cristiane, have a performance of over 80% in the field.

Eleve Science, in turn, is a science-based startup that develops products in the area of ​​in vitro safety (calm down, back-of-class crowd, we’ll explain what that is in a moment!). Founded in 2019 and headquartered at Supera, a technology park located on the campus of the Universidade de São Paulo in Ribeirão Preto (SP), the company performs in vitro tests, but using human skin. The goal is to replace tests on animals and humans, which involve important ethical issues.

The truth of the matter is this: currently, experiments on animals are the only way to test whether a drug is safe and effective before providing it to people in the clinical testing phase. But the use of animals involves increasingly relevant ethical discussions and also care for the animals’ well-being.

Thus, as alternatives to preclinical tests on animals, there are different alternative methods performed with various types of research tools, including computer models, automatic screening, cell cultures and microbial studies.

“In this context, the commitment to validating robust alternative methods must be emphasized in order to ensure that products reach the market safely, without the need for excessive research on animals. New technologies involving miniature human organs built in the laboratory are moving towards better treatments and the end of a controversial practice involving the use of animals”, states the company.

This is where Eleve Science comes in.

The starting point for understanding all this is to observe that in vitro methods are predictive models for evaluating the safety, efficacy and performance of a product. This area focuses precisely on replacing the use of animals in scientific tests.

Did you get it? Yes!

Speaking of academic knowledge that becomes a business, Nanoscoping, a deep tech nanobiotechnology startup created in Florianópolis (SC), is a good example. The founders, scientists Beatriz Veleirinho and Letícia Mazzarino, decided to become entrepreneurs after building a solid career in academia – Beatriz has a PhD in nanotechnology, while Letícia has a PhD in pharmacy and both have post-doctorates. “We are a B2B company. We develop raw materials so that the industry can create end products with more technology and efficiency”, they state.

The company’s nanotechnology solutions include supplies and services to serve sectors such as veterinary, cosmetics, nutritional and agricultural. The company’s approximately 60 products use ingredients originating from nature and biocompatible and biodegradable raw materials – ingredients of animal origin are not used. “We provide ingredients and active ingredients for the industry to develop a final product, which could be a food supplement (for humans), a human cosmetic, a veterinary hygiene and beauty product or an item for use in protecting agricultural crops, for example,” she explains.

The deep tech and biotech startups from KPTL that you have followed throughout this news are just a few examples of the immense potential that the country has in these areas. “In my opinion, Brazil has a power that is still little explored, valued and known in the biotech area,” says Diego Bertolin, head of investments at KPTL.

In other words, there is a great opportunity ahead for Brazil. But, obviously, some challenges need to be overcome, such as the fact that there are still a few investors open to this type of thesis. This is not the case with KPTL, of course. “We at KPTL believe in innovation and human potential as transformative elements of society,” says Bertolin.

Transform. With criteria. With ethics. Not in any way and at any price. It is with integrity, taking advantage of the potential that nature has always offered us.

“At first, I thought I was fighting to save rubber trees, then I thought I was fighting to save the Amazon Rainforest. Now, I realize that I am fighting for humanity.”

Chico Mendes

3 Questions for…

José Carlos Tavares

Co-founder and scientific director of Ages Bioactive, member of the Royal National Academy of Pharmacy of Spain and researcher in the area of biotechnology.

(Photo: Disclosure)

1) Ages is a biotechnology company with a strong relationship with the Amazon. Could you give more details about the company’s activities?

Ages is a research and innovation company in new active pharmaceutical ingredients for the nutraceutical area. It is the only company that places active pharmaceutical ingredients based on preclinical and clinical pharmacological research based in Brazil. So, if we take a closer look, most companies that work with pharmaceutical ingredients take copies, bring these imported ingredients and live off copies of studies that are conducted abroad. Ages does not. Ages works on the validation of what we call both preclinical pharmacological and toxicological studies as well as on the issue of clinical validation.

2) Ages focuses on the healthcare segment in Brazil. How does biotechnology contribute to making the concept of “healthy lifetime” a reality?

Yes, we are a biotechnology company focused on health span in Brazil. And what does that mean? It means that the basis of the APIs, the active pharmaceutical ingredients that Ages place on the market, is precisely to develop products based on prevention. Note that even public health programs in Brazil are extremely costly because public health policies in the country are focused on treating diseases, not on prevention. When we talk about a health span company, we are concerned with the issue of senescence. The focus of the biotechnology processes that Ages currently dominates seeks to place on the market pharmaceutical products and ingredients that can prevent, for example, the problems caused by senescence, that is, by the elderly phase of the individual. Ages is the first company in the health span area that is concerned with the development of bio-actives, of APIs, that can prevent, for example, metabolic syndromes, diabetic syndromes and all the problems related to senescence, to the old age of the individual.

3) How important is biotechnology for the Brazilian economy of the future and, in this context, what is the role of the Amazon as a source of innovation for companies in the sector?

There is no point in continuing to say that Brazil is one of the largest countries in terms of biodiversity wealth if we do not take advantage of this great biodiversity to generate products. The role of the Amazon, as a source of innovation, is that it allows us to take advantage of biodiversity. And when I say biodiversity, I am not just referring to plant biodiversity, but also animal biodiversity and, mainly, this wealth in terms of minerals and the very composition of the Amazon soil.

I would just like to give one example. In the case of the region of Santarém and Belterra, there is wealth in terms of soil that is the famous black earth. Traditional and ancestral people have already referred to the use of this land to produce some differentiated products, in addition to its use in agriculture. Ages deal with this wealth, mainly in terms of plant biodiversity, to generate complex pharmaceutical inputs that can be used in the prevention of diseases. This is the context in which we must think about the Amazon: it is a hotbed of opportunities for the generation of new pharmaceuticals and biocosmetics that are competitive not only in Brazil, but abroad. Because we can also generate biocosmetics, mainly those related to cosmeceuticals, that is, with the development of a pharmacological activity in the skin, hair and in several other applications in the human body.