There were several bio-butanol news last month and these were all reported at Tecnon OrbiChem’s Bio-Materials newsletter. In the meantime, here was one from Lesaffre, a France-based manufacturer of yeast and other fermentation products.

The company said it has acquired Butalco, a Swiss start-up bio-butanol technology developer, for an undisclosed amount. Lesaffre has recently established its new business unit called LEAF (Lesaffre Advanced Fermentation Technologies).  The acquisition will be under this business unit.

Butalco was founded in 2007 as spin-off at the Goethe University of Frankfurt.  The company focuses on development of yeast technology and yeast strains for second generation biofuels and bio-based chemicals.  In fact, Butalco sold its xylose isomerase technology to Lesaffre in 2012.  Butalco was developing yeast-based isobutanol as its first product.  Lesaffre said bio-isobutanol will be its first renewable chemical in its bio-based chemicals product portfolio with the acquisition of Butalco.

Butalco’s technology can also enable the construction of yeast strains producing adipic acid or malic acid from sugars.