From Waste to Waves: Inobiostar's Breakthrough in Eco-Friendly Oil Spill Cleanup
LITHUANIA
Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
With support from BlueInvest, this Lithuanian start-up is turning wastepaper and Baltic Sea microbes into powerful, sustainable tools for marine protection.
Revolutionizing Oil Spill Response with Sustainable Biotechnology
Oil spills are among the most devastating threats to marine ecosystems, jeopardizing biodiversity and the livelihoods of industries that rely on clean water. Inobiostar, a pioneering Lithuanian spin-off from Klaipėda University, is addressing this challenge head-on with a novel, eco-friendly solution.
There are microorganisms that use oil as food. And we have only to create the best conditions for them to fight with oil spills (left). InnoAerogel, at its core, is an ultralight, super-absorbent derived from recycled paper waste (right)
At the core of its innovation is InnoAerogel — a biodegradable, super-absorbent material made from wastepaper and infused with oil-degrading microorganisms sourced from the Baltic Sea. This cutting-edge material not only captures oil efficiently but also naturally breaks it down, making it a safer, greener alternative to traditional cleanup methods.
With strategic guidance and funding through the EU BlueInvest initiative, Inobiostar has evolved from a promising research project into a high-impact cleantech start-up, securing over €2 million in funding and positioning itself for scale.
Inobiostar’s flagship product, InnoAerogel, is a patented material derived primarily from wastepaper pulp, freeze-dried into an ultralight, porous aerogel. The result is a bio-based material that can absorb oil up to 10 times its own weight, while degrading hydrocarbons through microbial activity — all without leaving harmful residues.
This dual-action solution not only enhances spill response but also supports a circular economy by upcycling paper waste and reducing secondary pollution. It’s a game-changer in sustainable marine cleanup technologies.
From Lab to Market: A Research Spin-Off Finds Its Footing
Founded in 2020 by Dr. Tatjana Paulauskienė, a chemical and environmental engineer with over two decades of experience, Inobiostar was born from academic research into sustainable oil spill mitigation. While the team brought strong scientific expertise, it initially lacked the business development tools needed to bring the innovation to market.
Participation in multiple accelerator programmes helped bridge this gap, refining the company’s commercial strategy and establishing a viable path forward in a competitive cleantech space.
BlueInvest: Catalyzing Commercial Success
A key milestone in Inobiostar’s journey was its selection for the BlueInvest Readiness Assistance Programme, which offers tailored support to high-potential blue economy SMEs. Through the programme, Inobiostar worked with a dedicated business coach to develop a robust commercialisation strategy, conduct market analysis, and identify investment opportunities.
“Together with our BlueInvest coach, we built a comprehensive business plan and sharpened our investor readiness,”explains Dr. Paulauskienė.“Their sector-specific expertise was instrumental in translating our technical innovation into a market-ready solution.”
This support contributed to the company securing over €2 million in investment, along with 19 letters of intent from potential stakeholders.
Looking Ahead: Scaling Impact Across Industries
With a pilot plant launch on the horizon, Inobiostar is preparing to scale its operations and explore broader applications for InnoAerogel. These include:
Wastewater treatment
Thermal and acoustic insulation
Defense and emergency response
Biomedical materials
To fuel this growth, Inobiostar is actively pursuing additional funding and partnerships to accelerate its market entry and global impact.
A Clean Future from Clean Technology
Inobiostar exemplifies the potential of science-driven entrepreneurship in tackling urgent environmental challenges. By turning waste into a powerful tool for marine protection, and leveraging EU support to bring their vision to life, the company stands at the forefront of the blue biotech revolution.
Their journey proves that with the right innovation and the right partners, sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand — creating a cleaner, safer future for our oceans and our planet.
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Founded in 2020 by Dr. Tatjana Paulauskienė, a chemical and environmental engineer with over two decades of experience, Inobiostar was born from academic research into sustainable oil spill mitigation. While the team brought strong scientific expertise, it initially lacked the business development tools needed to bring the innovation to market.
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