Bengaluru: A Bengaluru biotechnology startup is working on an alternative to synthetic polymers used in everyday products such as toothpaste, shampoos and floor cleaners, using agricultural and agro-industrial waste as its raw material.

Founded in 2023, BacAlt Biosciences was established by biotechnologists Shruti Kutmutia and Pranav Nair. Based in Electronics City, the company develops ingredients for businesses rather than selling directly to consumers.

Turning agricultural waste into biopolymers

BacAlt uses post-harvest crop residue and agro-industrial fruit waste as feedstock for fermentation.

The process produces two biopolymers — bacterial cellulose and poly-gamma glutamic acid. While bacterial cellulose is produced by microbes, poly-gamma glutamic acid can function as a thickener and moisture-holding agent.

The company says using waste as a feedstock helps lower raw material costs while giving agricultural residue an alternative use to being burnt.

Non-sterile fermentation aims to cut costs

According to the company, its fermentation process operates without the conventional sterilisation used in industrial fermentation tanks.

BacAlt says combining non-sterile fermentation with high-throughput production methods and waste feedstock can reduce production costs and make biological alternatives more commercially viable.

Its named product, ReRaw, is a blend of bacterial cellulose and poly-gamma glutamic acid. The company says the ingredient can replace up to five synthetic additives with a single biodegradable ingredient.

These figures, as well as the company’s claims of multi-fold cost reductions, have not been independently verified.

Targeting several industries

BacAlt initially plans to serve personal care, oral care and home care manufacturers. It has also identified agrochemicals, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and wound care as potential markets.

CEO Shruti Kutmutia has argued that tackling microplastics requires attention not only to packaging but also to the formulations contained inside consumer products.

The company says its broader ambition is to help India move from importing speciality ingredients to developing and exporting them.

₹18 crore funding raised

BacAlt raised ₹18 crore, or around $2 million, in a funding round announced in September 2025. Avaana Capital led the round, with participation from Lubrizol InnoVentures, the venture arm of speciality chemicals company Lubrizol.

The funding was intended for research and development, pilot-scale production, recruitment and expansion into new markets.

The company had said its first commercial product would launch in June 2026 from a pre-pilot facility in Bengaluru, followed by expansion into agrochemical and pharmaceutical applications in 2027.

However, the June 2026 launch date has passed, and no commercial launch has been announced publicly. BacAlt was among Indian companies showcased at Bharat Innovates in Nice, France, in June 2026, where it presented ReRaw and sought partnerships.

No customer, order or revenue figures have been publicly disclosed in the source material.