BRAIN Biotech AG

BRAIN Biotech AG is a publicly listed German industrial biotechnology company headquartered in Zwingenberg, Hesse. Founded in 1993 in Darmstadt as B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG by Holger Zinke, Jürgen Eck and Hans Günter Gassen, the company was renamed BRAIN Biotech AG in April 2021. It operates as a technology service provider for bio-based products and processes, combining research and development, production and distribution. The group employs around 320 people and includes subsidiaries such as Biocatalysts Ltd. (United Kingdom), Biosun Biochemicals Inc. (USA), Breatec B.V. (Netherlands) and WeissBioTech GmbH (Germany). SolasCure Ltd. is a spin-off and minority investment. The company reports in two segments: BRAINBiocatalysts, which covers the sale of specialty enzymes, microorganisms and ingredients as well as custom-developed or produced enzymes and proteins; and BRAINBioIncubator, which comprises research-intensive R&D projects with industrial partners and proprietary developments. Its product focus is on enzymes, and the group has its own fermentation and production facilities for proteins in continental Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. Customers are mainly from the food and chemical industries as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies. Named clients include BASF, Bayer, Clariant, DSM, Evonik Industries, Henkel, Sandoz, Südzucker and Symrise, among others. BRAIN Biotech AG has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since its IPO in 2016 (ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394). The management board consists of CEO Adriaan Moelker and CFO Michael Schneiders. The company is an active supporter of the United Nations Global Compact and published its first sustainability report and initial ESG data sheet in May 2022. Its products and services directly address at least five UN Sustainable Development Goals. In May 2021 the company disclosed the development of a proprietary CRISPR-Cas method based on its own non-Cas9 nuclease, and in September 2023 it announced that the European Patent Office had granted a new substance patent for its G-dase® E nucleases.

BRAIN Biotech AG was founded in 1993 in Darmstadt, Germany, under the name B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG by Holger Zinke, Jürgen Eck and Hans Günter Gassen. Holger Zinke initially served as managing director and, after the company's conversion into a stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) in 2000, became CEO until July 2015. From August 2015 to 2017 he served as deputy chairman of the supervisory board. His successor as CEO was co-founder Jürgen Eck, who had previously been the technical board member. In February 2020, Adriaan Moelker took over as CEO from Jürgen Eck. The company has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since its IPO in 2016 (ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394). In April 2021, the company changed its name from B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG to BRAIN Biotech AG. Over the years, BRAIN has grown through acquisitions and investments. In 2009 it acquired the cosmetics developer and manufacturer L.A. Schmitt GmbH (Ludwigsstadt). In 2013 it acquired the natural product chemistry specialist Analyticon Discovery GmbH (Potsdam). In 2014 it first invested in WeissBioTech GmbH, a company focused on enzymes for the food industry, and in 2020 acquired the remaining minority shares. In 2018 it acquired shares in the enzyme specialist Biocatalysts Ltd. (Cardiff, UK) and participated in the founding of SolasCure Ltd., which develops, CE-certifies and markets medical devices based on the enzyme Aurase® for biological debridement of chronic wounds. In 2021 BRAIN Biotech acquired BIOSUN Biochemicals Inc. (Tampa, Florida, USA), a manufacturer and distributor of enzymes and flavors. In 2022 it acquired a majority stake in the Dutch baking enzyme specialist Breatec B.V. and sold the subsidiary L.A. Schmitt to a company of the Korean URI group. In 2023 it acquired the remaining minority interests in Biocatalysts Ltd. In 2024, AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH was merged into BRAIN Biotech AG. In May 2021, BRAIN Biotech publicly disclosed for the first time the development of a proprietary CRISPR-Cas method based on its own non-Cas9 nuclease, which the company uses for gene editing in development projects. In September 2023, the company announced that the European Patent Office had granted a new substance patent for its G-dase® E nucleases. The company is an active supporter of the United Nations Global Compact. In May 2022 it published its first sustainability report and an initial ESG data sheet. Its products and services directly address at least five UN Sustainable Development Goals.

• 2024

  AnalytiCon Discovery GmbH merged into BRAIN Biotech AG.

• 2023

  Acquired remaining minority interests in Biocatalysts Ltd.; European Patent Office granted substance patent for G-dase® E nucleases in September.

• 2022

  Acquired majority in Breatec B.V. (Netherlands); sold L.A. Schmitt to Korean URI group; published first sustainability report and ESG data sheet in May.

• 2021

  Renamed to BRAIN Biotech AG in April; acquired BIOSUN Biochemicals Inc. (USA); disclosed proprietary CRISPR-Cas method in May.

• 2020

  Adriaan Moelker becomes CEO in February; acquired remaining minority shares in WeissBioTech GmbH.

• 2018

  Acquired shares in Biocatalysts Ltd. (Cardiff, UK); participated in founding SolasCure Ltd.

• 2016

  IPO; listed in Prime Standard of Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE0005203947 / WKN 520394).

• 2015

  Jürgen Eck becomes CEO in August; Holger Zinke moves to supervisory board.

• 2014

  First investment in WeissBioTech GmbH, focused on enzymes for the food industry.

• 2013

  Acquired natural product chemistry specialist Analyticon Discovery GmbH (Potsdam).

• 2009

  Acquired cosmetics developer and manufacturer L.A. Schmitt GmbH (Ludwigsstadt).

• 2000

  Converted into a stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft); Holger Zinke becomes CEO.

• 1993

  Founded in Darmstadt as B.R.A.I.N. Biotechnology Research and Information Network AG by Holger Zinke, Jürgen Eck and Hans Günter Gassen.

Technology service provider for bio-based products and processes, specializing in industrial biotechnology with a focus on enzymes.

• Enzymes

  Finished enzyme products; custom discovery and development of novel enzymes for specific industrial applications; enzyme and protein optimization via protein engineering.

• Microorganisms

  Identification and development of microorganisms as production strains, starter cultures for fermentations, or functional microorganism biomass, based on proprietary collection and bioinformatics data.

• Ingredients

  Ingredients for various applications (details truncated in source).

• G-dase® E nucleases

  Proprietary non-Cas9 nuclease used in CRISPR-Cas gene editing; granted substance patent by European Patent Office in 2023.

• Aurase® (via SolasCure)

  Enzyme for biological debridement of chronic wounds, developed by SolasCure Ltd.

1. 1BRAIN Biotech – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2Brain AG – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Official websitebrain-biotech.de