HydRegen, the revolutionary bioscience company, has developed a system that decarbonises biocatalytic processes and replaces toxic metal catalysts, transforming the production of drugs and speciality chemicals.

HydRegen’s CEO, Holly Reeve, has always been passionate about science, technology and innovation and their place in tackling the challenges of sustainability. She fell in love with research during her undergraduate research project, where she was challenged to co-immobilise enzymes on carbon to allow use of hydrogen gas to convert NAD+ into NADH. After obtaining proof-of-concept results, the technology was protected via patent application in 2011, and is now the basis of HydRegen’s first commercial offering. Key turning points for Holly were completing a rigorous business training course and winning the RSC ‘Emerging Technology’ competition in 2013, when she and Prof. Kylie Vincent won a package of mentoring which increased their profile and interactions with the industry.

Since spinning out from the University of Oxford in 2021, HydRegen has been focused on new strategies for cleaning up chemical manufacturing by switching the power source for biocatalysis from glucose to hydrogen gas, currently licensing two pieces of patent-protected IP from the University.

Holly Reeve, CEO of HydRegen, said:

HydRegen’s technology enables clean and efficient continuous bio-manufacturing processes, lowering the barrier-to-entry for biotech in chemical manufacturing and moving towards a more sustainable future. It is only by working together on interdisciplinary research, that we can tackle the limitations of using biocatalysis and develop cleaner, safer, and more efficient chemical manufacture processes across the chemicals sector.

Science teaches us so much, like problem solving, how to think on our feet and how to apply knowledge outside of its original context. These are all critical to becoming a successful entrepreneur and solving complex problems. The next generation are passionate about science, tackling the world’s big problems and entrepreneurship, but they don’t necessarily see a path where all these things can converge. It’s important to inspire the next generation by talking about our experiences and by encouraging the system to retain its diversity.

Date Published: 26 April 2023