The Copenhagen biotech startup making protein from thin air

Things are moving fast at Copenhagen-based biotechnology company Aerbio. The startup has its roots in the UK but recently relocated to the Danish capital after several years operating out of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, that move precipitated the exit of CXO and co-founder Pete Rowe, who The Engineer had originally spoken to about the company back in February. Thankfully, fellow co-founder and CTO, Rob Mansfield, was able to provide an update in the wake of the executive shake-up. 

“The dream scenario is we’re going to consolidate the company here (Denmark) and everyone comes with us and it’ll be great, yeah?” Mansfield explained. “And then the reality is that people have lives outside of their work, even in the intensity of a startup. Pete’s got a couple of kids down in Leiden, so this is a bigger lift for him than it would be for me.”

Mansfield and Rowe met more than decade ago at the University of Nottingham where they were both exploring a niche area of biotechnology known as gas fermentation. Throughout their PhDs, the pair discovered how the technique could be used to make valuable products like biofuels and chemicals from a wide variety of inputs.