We spent $15,000 on billboards targeting one person: the guy controlling all the chemical spend at a saltwater disposal company in Texas. We mapped his commute and bought every billboard between his house and the oil field. When we finally called, he said "I see your billboards everywhere." That landed us our first oil field contract. At the time our entire operation was a $10,000 reactor built from PVC pipes from Home Depot, turning corn sugar into industrial chemicals. People keep trying to throw it away. It still works. That leaking reactor started a multibillion-dollar company. @ycombinator visited our plant in Houston. The original PVC reactor is still on the floor next to the Bioforge.

🧪@Solugen is reinventing the trillion-dollar chemical manufacturing industry by combining biology and chemistry in a new way. In this episode of Hard Tech, YC's Jared Friedman visits co-founders Gaurab Chakrabarti (@Gaurab) and Sean Hunt (@TungstenSeanide) at their Houston HQ to see how they went from a $7,000 PVC reactor to a billion-dollar company competing with industry giants. They cover the breakthrough behind their enzymatic catalytic production, how they found their first customers, and why starting small and staying close to customers let them win in a capital-intensive industry. 00:00 - A New Kind of Chemical Plant 01:02 - Fusing Biology & Chemistry In a New Way 02:23 - The Eureka Moment: From Pancreatic Cancer to Hydrogen Peroxide 03:30 - Using A Sugar Feedstock Over Oil and Gas 04:22 - Proving Enzymes Work at Scale In Chemical Manufacturing 05:16 - The $7K PVC Reactor 06:44 - Finding First Customers at YC 08:12 - What The Co-founders Got Out of YC 09:33 - Seed Round to Bio Forge 10:32 - Scaling to a Full-Size Plant 11:57 - The Future of American Manufacturing 12:29 - The Next Decade of Solugen

In an effort to expand awareness of technology and business, we bought a Super Bowl ad. See you Sunday on NBC

First Look: the story behind Solugen’s work in defense—revealed ahead of AUSA 2025. America’s defense shouldn’t rely on foreign supply chains. Our new video, which will air at AUSA, shows how Solugen is changing that—bringing proven innovation from energy and water treatment into critical chemicals and next-generation energetics. We’re scaling capacity right here at home: safe, affordable, and American-made. This is the story we’ll be sharing at AUSA—and the reason to meet with us in person. Solugen: Affordable. American. Energetics. 📍Find us at the American Rheinmetall booth #1339 📧Lock in a private meeting at AUSA (Oct. 13-15 in Washington D.C.) now: defense@solugentech.com

Last week we had the privilege of hosting the American Rheinmetall team at Solugen’s Houston facility. We toured the plant, showcased our scalable, U.S.-based chemical manufacturing approach, discussed Solugen’s TactiChem products, and held focused conversations about collaborating on advanced solutions for the warfighter. With resilient domestic production and next-generation munitions more critical than ever, we're looking forward to building a partnership that delivers real capability where it counts. #DefenseInnovation #IndustrialBase #Manufacturing #Partnership

Solugen's Fourth of July Reflection: On Independence Day, we celebrate freedom built on more than ideals—it’s secured by our capacity to innovate, produce, and supply ourselves. From WWI nitrate plants to WWII munitions bases and Cold War synthetic rubber programs, America invested in domestic industry to guarantee security and independence. Today, resilient supply chains, modern manufacturing, and next-gen chemistry are vital to that mission. At Solugen, we’re building chemical production in the U.S. to strengthen America’s defense industrial foundation and ensure we can meet tomorrow’s challenges at home. Learn more: solugen.com/aerospace-defens…  #IndependenceDay #AmericanManufacturing #Solugen

We’ve joined the @newindustrials, a coalition of builders, investors, and policymakers reindustrializing America. From onshoring critical chemicals to modernizing materials for national security, we’re all in on securing America's techno-industrial future. Let’s get to work! 🇺🇸

Industrial chemistry hasn’t seen a real leap forward in decades. Until now. 👀 @solugen is modernizing manufacturing to power the sectors defining America’s future. Our CTO @TungstenSeanide breaks it down on the @techtodaypod with @kwharrison.

We’re excited to welcome James Begeal as Solugen’s new President of Energy & Water! With 25 years of experience and a track record of scaling commercial strategy, James will lead our efforts across the energy and produced water sectors. 🔗Learn More: solugen.com/solugen-welcomes…

Smarter processes. Decentralized production. A new era in specialty chemicals is here. Solugen CEO @gaurab breaks down what’s driving the Third Industrial Revolution at this years World Petrochemical Conference in Houston. 🔗Key Takeaways: solugen.com/the-future-of-sp… #SPWPC #manufacturing #innovation

Honored to be featured in @Entrepreneur by @LizOBrody, spotlighting companies proving U.S. manufacturing isn’t just possible—it’s the future. 🇺🇸 For decades, critical chemical production has been offshored. At Solugen, we’re changing that. We’re solving real customer pain points—while manufacturing where it makes the most sense: here at home. Shoutout to @americangiant, @VorticWatches, and all the companies proving that industrial innovation and American manufacturing go hand in hand. 🤝 📖 Flip to page 18 of the March/April issue for the full story. #MadeInAmerica #Reshoring #Manufacturing #IndustrialStrength

The future of oilfield chemistry is here—are your programs keeping up? 🤔 We’re at the North American Oilfield Chemicals Series this week talking smarter solutions for H₂S, scale, corrosion & more. Does your chemical program need a boost? Let’s talk. 💬

How will the next era of specialty chemicals be defined As customer demands shift beyond just scale, the industry must deliver smarter, more resilient solutions. At @SPGCI's World Petrochem Conference, Solugen's @gaurab will explore how the Third Industrial Revolution in manufacturing is reshaping the industry. Joined by leaders from @Petronas, @Evonik, and @SPGlobal, this session will dive into what’s next for the sector. 📅 Thursday, March 20 | 8:00 AM 🔗 More details: wpc.spglobal.com/en/program/… See you tomorrow at #SPWPC!

We’re honored to be named to the American Dynamism 50 by @a16z —a list of companies shaping the fight of the future by strengthening America’s resilience. 🇺🇸 Solugen is tackling a major blind spot in U.S. manufacturing: the chemicals that power our supply chains. From energy & defense to semiconductors, every sector depends on chemistry—yet much of it is offshored. We’re changing that. By scaling bio-based manufacturing, we’re bringing critical chemical production back to the U.S.—securing supply chains, reducing foreign dependence, and reinforcing American industry. 👀 See who else made the list: a16z.com/american-dynamism-5… #AmericanDynamism #Manufacturing #Onshoring #Resilience #FutureofIndustry

Solugen CEO @gaurab has been appointed to a three-year term on the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology at @NIST, part of the @CommerceGovt . This role reinforces Solugen’s commitment to advancing U.S. manufacturing, innovation, and resilient supply chains. Through VCAT, we’ll support the Administration with industry insights that shape economic policies driving progress in energy, manufacturing, defense, and AI. Read more in our full announcement here: solugen.com/solugen-ceo-appo…