Science, Impact and Scale: Cyrille Pauthenier on Building a Sustainable Biotech Future with Abolis Biotechnologies
Cyrille Pauthenier is the CEO and Co-founder of Abolis Biotechnologies, a firm based in Paris that focuses on industrial biotechnology and advancing sustainable bioproduction through microbial fermentation and strain engineering. In 2024, Abolis raised 35 million euros in strategic funding to scale its biomanufacturing platform, expand globally, and accelerate the development of bio-based ingredients for industries ranging from cosmetics, to healthcare and food.
From iGEM to Abolis Biotechnologies, a Company Built on Science and Impact
Cyrille’s iGEM journey began as part of iGEM Team Paris Bettencourt 2011. This experience exposed him not only to discovering synthetic biology frameworks and tools, but also to the collaborative and application-driven mindset that defines the iGEM community. Reflecting on this period, Cyrille describes iGEM as a formative part of his training, not only scientifically, but also in shaping how he approaches collaboration, problem-solving and innovation:
“I’m a chemist, using biology as a way of doing chemistry: A different kind of chemistry, with a focus on sustainability, biodegradability and absence of toxicity.”
He founded Abolis in 2014 to apply synthetic biology and industrial scale-up to real-world production challenges.
A Major Funding Step for Sustainable Biotech
Cyrille deliberately sought corporate venture capital (CVC) and growth-stage investors with industrial expertise.
“I wanted to work with partners with a long-term growth mentality (...) and we are an industrial biotech company, so we needed to have industrials (partners) on our board. That's how I see it.”
The 35 million euro round, led prominently by L’Oréal’s BOLD, with Evonik Venture Capital and others, exemplifies this strategy. It included strategic partnerships (e.g., a tri-party agreement with L’Oréal and Evonik) to bring innovations from lab to market.
For Cyrille, this funding round underscores a core principle he emphasized: Deliberately selecting investors aligned in values, timeframe and ambition.
What 11 Years as a Founder Has Taught Him
After more than a decade building Abolis, from early R&D to commercial partnerships, Cyrille reflects on the true drivers of success:
“It’s not about technology. Technology is a tool. In 2014, synbio tools weren’t as accessible as today. Now, they’re commoditized: gene synthesis, sequencing, automation, all of it. But a fool with a tool is still a fool. What matters is how you serve your market and clients, putting the technology at the service of their business. Half of problem-solving is asking the right questions. The other half is answering them correctly.”
Advice for Future Biofounders
Reflecting on more than a decade in the SynBio space, Cyrille shares clear and practical advice for emerging founders:
“Associate with the right people. Make sure your investors are aligned with your values and ambitions. Put the right frameworks in place before you hire — it’s hard to change them later.”
He stresses the importance of structure, setting up standard operating procedures, project management frameworks, CRM monitoring and performance metrics early on. Accountability, reproducibility and clarity, he says, are just as vital as creativity.
“And most importantly, have fun,” he adds. “Because building something meaningful should be as fulfilling as it is challenging.”
With new funding, global partnerships and a robust scientific platform, Abolis is scaling the production of bio-based ingredients for industries seeking greener, more resilient supply chains. Through synthetic biology, Abolis is paving the way toward a future where chemistry is not only innovative, but sustainable.
Do You Aspire to be the Next Biofounder?
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