Ghent-based start-up AmphiStar is one of the first in the world to produce biosurfactants using a yeast that derives its nutrients entirely from biological waste streams. ‘We want to make the surfactant market more sustainable and its products safer.’

Surfactant is an acronym for SURFace ACTive AgeNT. ‘They have a dual property’, begins Sophie Roelants, co-founder and former CEO, now COO of AmphiStar. ‘One part dissolves well in water, the other part in fat. The detergent that you use to wash a pan, for example, contains surface-active agents. These are essential for proper washing. They are found in a wide range of products, from cosmetics and shampoo to animal feed and agricultural chemicals.’

Industry produces more than 20 million tonnes of surfactants every year. ‘The vast majority of this is derived from fossil fuels’, says Roelants. ‘In addition, a significant amount comes from palm oil, which requires valuable agricultural land. The raw materials are then subjected to a classic chemical process at high temperature and pressure with toxic catalysts. All in all, the surfactant industry today is far from being sustainable and environmentally friendly.’