E21 #StartupStory "From Thesis to Biotech Startup: The Birth and Growth of Chromologics" with Gerit Tolborg, CEO and co-founder of Chromologics

In this episode Gerit Tolborg shared the exciting story about her journey of co-founding Chromologics, a biotech startup, which started as her PhD project at the Technical University of Denmark. After working on a fascinating red molecule, she discovered a novel way of producing natural food colors through fermentation. She and her co-founder Anders (Ødum) Odum raised funds, built a team and started the company and moved out from the University. Gerit shares some of the challenges they faced, including fundraising during COVID-19 and the transition from DTU to their own facilities. In addition Gerit shares some insights on co-founder dynamics, importance of work-life balance, fostering a trusting and transparent company culture, and navigating the startup world with authenticity. About Chromologics Chromologics is a Danish biotech start-up responding to the strong market pull for novel natural food colorants. We develop fungal fermentation solutions for the production of natural pigments. Our proprietary production process allows not only for a more sustainable production than existing solutions, but is also cost-competitive. Our pigments are produced by a non-GMO fungus, which makes them compliant with the dietary requirements of broad consumer bases such as kosher, halal, and vegan diets. Timestamp & Shownotes 00:41 Who is Gerit Tolborg⁠ 01:54 The Birth of Chromologics 03:06 Challenges and Opportunities in the Food Color Industry 03:57 The Journey of Chromologics: From Idea to Reality 04:58 The Role of Fermentation in Color Production 06:23 The Discovery of a New Molecule 07:28 The Path to Founding a Company 08:35 The Challenges of Transitioning from Academia to Business 10:03 The Importance of Building Relationships 10:55 The Journey of Fundraising and Scaling 12:48 The Challenges and Successes of Hiring and Growing a Team 14:39 The Impact of COVID-19 16:15 The Role of Business Acceleration Academy in the Company's Growth 26:26 Securing Investments and Navigating Lockdowns 28:30 Building a Team and Overcoming Hiring Challenges 30:00 Establishing Company Culture and Values 31:47 Balancing Work and Personal Life in a Startup 34:17 The Dynamics of a Co-Founder Relationship 36:34 Lessons Learned and Advice for Future Entrepreneurs 46:00 The Importance of Industry Experience and Thinking 48:08 Building a Supportive Network in the Startup World 49:47 Current Needs and Opportunities for Collaboration 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺: We want to build a community to inspire life science professionals and leaders through talent talks and organized events. Share knowledge across the life science community through personal stories of their journey. We encourage you to take part in shaping this community by sharing your feedback, questions, or ideas. This you can do through our LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠community page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻: Feel free to share your thoughts and your feedback using our voicemail you can access⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: (no voicemails will be published without your explicit approval). Warm Regards from your podcast hosts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Nehar Mortuza⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠Søren Spanner Bach⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠