We aim to replace petrochemical dyes and pigments
Octarine Bio, founded in 2018 and based in Denmark, is a world-leading synthetic biology company built on pioneering research from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark. The company leverages cell-factory engineering, precision fermentation, and enzymatic enhancement to develop bio-based alternatives to petrochemical dyes, pigments, and molecules.
With its ethos “inspired by nature to protect nature,” Octarine Bio focuses on creating scalable, high-performance solutions that cut environmental impact while meeting industry demands. Its flagship innovation, PurePalette, represents a breakthrough in sustainable dyeing, offering consistent results without petrochemicals or hazardous auxiliaries, while significantly reducing water, energy, and carbon emissions across the textile value chain. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, CEO Nethaji Gallage shares insights into Octarine Bio’s mission, technology, and vision for reshaping the future of textiles and beyond.
Octarine Bio describes itself as “inspired by nature to protect nature”. How does this ethos shape your core business decisions?
We design our solutions to work in harmony with nature, ensuring every decision, from strain design to production scale-up, reduces environmental impact while delivering high performance.
Could you explain how your cell-factory engineering and precision fermentation technologies work in practice?
We engineer microbes to produce natural dye molecules through precision fermentation, replacing petrochemicals with renewable feedstocks in a controlled, scalable process.
How does your enzymatic enhancement approach differentiate Octarine Bio from others in the biotech space?
Our enzyme platform allows us to fine-tune dye properties for stability, performance, and colour range. This creates drop-in solutions that are both sustainable and technically reliable.
PurePalette has been presented as a first-in-industry solution. What makes it unique compared to traditional dye manufacturing?
PurePalette is made through precision fermentation and is not petrochemical derived and requires no hazardous auxiliary chemicals in dyeing. It delivers consistent performance with a fraction of the environmental footprint.
How does PurePalette address the longstanding environmental challenges of the textile dyeing industry?
It eliminates or significantly reduces toxic inputs, lowers water and energy consumption, and thereby reduces carbon emissions in both production and use, delivering measurable improvements across the supply chain.
What feedback have you received from textile brands and manufacturers that have trialled or adopted PurePalette?
They highlight performance on par with conventional dyes, cost-in-use price parity, and strong alignment with sustainability goals.
Life-cycle analysis shows significant reductions in water, energy use, and CO2 emissions. How does this translate into measurable benefits for textile companies?
Brands can lower operational costs, reduce regulatory risk, and credibly report progress towards climate and sustainability targets.
The textile industry is known for cost sensitivity. How do you make sustainable dyes commercially viable while maintaining performance standards?
We focus on competitive pricing by improving process efficiency. Our dyes reduce the need for auxiliary chemicals, and reduce water and energy use, which lowers overall costs.
What challenges do you foresee in scaling up sustainable dyes like PurePalette for global adoption?
Scaling requires building reliable supply chains, integrating into existing infrastructure, and earning industry trust through proven performance at volume.
What are the biggest challenges that hinder the large-scale adoption of bio-based solutions in the textile supply chain?
Conservative adoption cycles, reliance on legacy infrastructure, and short-term cost pressures often delay uptake, even when solutions are ready.
What impact do you expect upcoming regulations and sustainability targets to have on innovation and adoption of new dyeing technologies?
Stricter rules on chemicals and emissions will accelerate demand for safer, low-impact alternatives and create a stronger pull for technologies like PurePalette.
Beyond textiles, how do you see Octarine Bio’s technology being applied to other industries in the coming years?
Our platform can produce bio-based pigments and molecules for industries such as food, personal care, and packaging, and we are active within these industries behind the scenes already.
What role can sustainable dyes and alternative materials play in reducing the environmental footprint of fashion?
They tackle emissions, water use, and waste at their source, which is critical for achieving the industry’s climate commitments.
How do you see biotechnology reshaping the global textile and fashion industry in the next decade?
It will enable cleaner chemistries, lower-impact production, and new material functionalities, reshaping how fashion is designed and manufactured.
Looking ahead, what is Octarine Bio’s vision for transforming industries through biotechnology in the next decade?
We aim to replace petrochemical dyes and pigments with bio-based solutions across multiple sectors, proving that biotechnology can scale sustainably and commercially.
