Algenesis Labs is a materials science and technology company founded in 2016 by three UC San Diego professors: Dr. Stephen Mayfield, Dr. Michael Burkart, and Dr. Robert Pomeroy. The company develops high-performance, bio-based, biodegradable polyurethanes and created Bio-Iso™ to replace the final fossil-based building block in polyurethane chemistry.
Bio-Iso™ is made from plant-based dicarboxylic acids through a phosgene-free process, eliminating fossil carbon from the isocyanate while avoiding the highly toxic phosgene used in conventional isocyanate manufacturing. Combined with Algenesis’s Soleic® polyol, Bio-Iso™ enables the first 100% bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), verified according to ASTM D6866, with performance on par with petroleum-based equivalents. Algenesis has published 17 peer-reviewed papers supporting its technology.
Bio-Iso™ is produced at pilot scale at Algenesis’s San Diego facility, which was commissioned in August 2025. Algenesis holds USDA BioPreferred certification and ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certification, and has received an EcoVadis Gold Medal, placing the company in the top 5% of rated companies globally.
Algenesis Labs has received recognition for its Soleic® polyurethane platform, including the 2026 American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the 2025 American Chemistry Council (ACC) CPI Polyurethane Innovation Award, and the 2026 Green Product Award.
Headquarters: San Diego, California, USA
Website: www.algenesislabs.com
