Amyris, Inc. is a synthetic biotechnology and renewable chemical company headquartered in Emeryville, California. Amyris serves the specialty and performance chemicals, flavors and fragrances, cosmetics ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and nutraceuticals markets.[3]
History
Amyris was founded in 2003.[4] The company owns three brands, Biossance and Pipette, for beauty and skincare, and Purecane, a sugar substitute. The company went public on NASDAQ on September 28, 2010 (AMRS).[5]
In November 2011, Amyris acquired Lansing, Michigan-based renewable chemicals and products company, Draths Corporation, for $7 million in stock.[6] ATEL Capital Group acquired a stake in Amyris in December 2011.[7] In January 2016, the company received an investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Strategic Innovation Fund to support the development of antimalarial medication based on semi-synthetic artemisinin.[8] In April 2019, the company raised $34-million in private placement of its common stock and warrants. The funding round was led by Foris Ventures and Dr. Wei-wu He, General Partner of Emerging Technology Partners, LLC, a life sciences-focused venture fund.[9]
Biossance, the skincare brand from Amyris, was recognized as Digital Innovator of the Year at the WWD Beauty Inc Awards in 2019.[10]
On August 9, 2023, Amyris filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced it will shut down its consumer brands amongst selling itself.[13] The company was delisted from Nasdaq and added to the OTC Markets.
