Nexoleum started from a basic idea that petroleum-based plasticizers for flexible polyvinyl chloride applications (flexible PVC) could be replaced by vegetable-based chemicals, using epoxidized soybean oil (ESBO) as a building block. ESBO had a significant growth in the Brazilian flexible PVC market due to its low cost, but reached a ceiling due to its intrinsic technical limitations. The main concept for the new company was to modify the ESBO molecule to obtain materials that would bridge existing technical gaps while maintaining competitive prices to reach a broader market.<br/>The paper will present the story of the company, covering inception, investment, growth, joint venture, and final acquisition by a larger corporation over a period of 13 years. The paper will focus on the lessons learned during all phases, including a didactic layout of all necessary resources and required abilities. It’ll cover the main areas of expertise existent or developed by the management team during the company’s evolution from idea to launch and from industrial trials to full production, including Engineering, Financing, Applications Technology, Marketing, Intellectual Property, Safety, Compliance, Human Resources, and Mergers & Acquisitions.<br/>The paper will also draw on existing entrepreneurship studies, associating real-life experiences at Nexoleum with academic literature to illustrate key points and identify areas where specificities were crucial.

Nexoleum: a renewable-based chemicals start-up, from inception to exit

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.