Founder Story: Karim Engelmark Cassimjee, EnginZyme

Founder Story: Karim Engelmark Cassimjee, EnginZyme

09.04.24
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EnginZyme is on a mission to make the chemical industry more sustainable by using enzymes instead of heavy metals in chemical processes. Karim Engelmark Cassimjee, an engineer passionate about making a positive impact, co-founded EnginZyme in 2014. We asked him to share some insights with us.

What motivated you to start EnginZyme and focus on sustainable chemical production?
I started EnginZyme because I saw a big gap between scientific research and its real-world applications. The chemical industry’s reliance on heavy metal and other catalysts that result in high amounts of waste and high energy consumption, versus nature’s use of enzymes with much lower environmental impact, sparked the idea of using enzymes in a better way that suits industrial settings to make chemical production sustainable.

Can you explain EnginZyme’s key innovation and where you are currently on your journey?
Our main innovation is using enzymes in chemical processes. EnginZyme’s technology integrates enzymes into industrial processes to create chemicals in a sustainable way, enabling the use of nature’s own catalysts. Unlike traditional chemical synthesis, which often relies on heavy metals and harsh conditions, enzymes offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative. Currently we’re about 50 employees working with the large-scale commercial deployment of several products we’ve developed. That includes a food-oil process and an ingredient for mRNA vaccines.

What major challenges did you encounter when starting EnginZyme?
Switching from a researcher to an entrepreneur required a major mindset change. While academic decisions are based on data, entrepreneurship often demands quick decisions often based on incomplete data. It was key to realize that commercializing technology is a long journey with many challenges.

What advice would you give to scientists wanting to become entrepreneurs?
Start connecting your innovation with customers early. Focus on securing customer agreements to use your technology right away. Sales are essential, especially in the early stages. Consider hiring a salesperson first to help your product enter the market and gather feedback.

What are EnginZyme’s long-term ambitions?
Our goal is to broaden our impact across different industries, striving to make the chemical sector more sustainable and efficient. We’re focused on ensuring our technology is not only ground-breaking but also practical and scalable.

Learn more about EnginZyme here ↗