Startup Wins NSF Phase II Funding to Repurpose Dairy Waste

Capro-X received a $724,000 National Science Foundation Phase II award, pushing the Rev member startup past $1 million in funding awards. This newest round of funding will allow the startup, which converts harmful acid whey waste from the production of Greek yogurt into useful chemicals and biofuels, to further develop its technology and conduct pilot testing prior to its planned market entry in 2022.

The startup has been on a funding streak. In addition to the recent NSF Phase II award, Capro-X received a $225,000 NSF Phase I award, a $100,000 Environmental Protection Agency Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, and took home $250,000 in funding at last year’s inaugural Grow-NY food and agriculture competition. Additionally, the startup was recently selected for the Dairy Farmers of America food-focused startup accelerator.

Capro-X has been praised for its innovative work in clean energy and reducing waste in the dairy industry. “We’ve been able to achieve all of the goals we set out to reach when starting the company, a couple of years ago,” said Juan Guzman, CEO and co-founder.

Read the full story on Capro-X and its recent success in the Cornell Chronicle.