Level Nine Raises €4M Seed for Nanozyme Catalysts
Level Nine, a Berlin-based developer of nanozyme catalysts, has raised €4M ($4.6M) in seed funding led by Visionaries Tomorrow, with participation from IBB Ventures, better ventures, Zero Carbon Capital, and Rockstart. The startup builds an AI-driven platform combining bio-nanotechnology, quantum chemistry, and machine learning to convert biobased feedstocks and waste into drop-in chemical building blocks that match petrochemical performance at lower cost. The new capital brings total funding to €6.5M and will support construction of a kilotonne-scale first-of-a-kind (FOAK) demonstration plant.
Green Chemistry Investments Surge
Level Nine's raise aligns with a wave of European green chemistry funding, including PILI's $15.8M in March 2026 and Cascade Bio's $6M in September 2025. Competitors like Zymvol ($3.3M seed in 2025) and Allozymes ($15M Series A in 2024) focus on biological enzymes. Level Nine differentiates with synthetic nanozymes that withstand industrial conditions where proteins fail.
Petrochemical Crisis Hits Europe
Europe's €1T chemical sector grapples with soaring energy costs and competition from low-cost Asian producers. Biobased alternatives address this by using local waste streams, but current enzymes lack robustness for standard refineries. Nanozymes bridge this gap, enabling high yields at low temperatures and pressures without biological fragility.
Nanozymes Outperform Biological Enzymes
Level Nine's platform designs modular 'Lego-like' nanozymes via end-to-end ML and quantum chemistry, validated in pilot facilities at their new Berlin HQ. Unlike Zymvol's AI enzyme engineering or Cascade Biocatalysts' protein tweaks, nanozymes offer heat and pH tolerance for harsh biorefinery conditions. The first product targets polyurethane foams with 100% biobased aromatic polyols that are strong, flexible, flame-retardant, and sound-absorbent.
As Level Nine stated:
“With our first product, we’ve developed a crucial building block for the €100 billion global polyurethane (PU) market… preparing the construction of our kilotonne-scale FOAK demo plant.”
Visionaries Tomorrow Leads Deep Tech Bet
Visionaries Tomorrow's lead investment signals conviction in nanozymes as a decarbonization lever for chemicals. Zero Carbon Capital's participation adds climate-focused validation, while IBB Ventures ties to Berlin's deep tech ecosystem. This mix provides strategic support for Level Nine's shift from lab validation to industrial deployment.
Biobased Chemicals Market Expands
The biobased chemicals market stands at $120.16B in 2026, projected to reach $249.36B by 2034 at 9.6% CAGR. Level Nine targets the €100B polyurethane segment, where end-users in automotive, construction, and furniture seek sustainable foams. Arzeda ($38M in 2024) and others chase protein designs, but nanozymes unlock broader feedstocks.
Female-Led Team Drives Innovation
Co-founders Seadna Quigley (CEO, ex-CFO Metabolic, circular economy expert) and Emily Sheridan (CTO, PhD in bio-nano interactions) met at Entrepreneur First Berlin in 2023. The 75% female board and recent Bayer chemical engineer hire bolster scaling expertise. This diverse team secured World Economic Forum recognition for nanozymes in its Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2025.
Demo Plant Scales Production
Post-funding, Level Nine's new HQ enables kg/day pilot production toward kilotonne-scale. They are hiring chemical engineers for process scale-up and pursuing customer off-takes in polyurethane. Partnerships with DigitalHub and INAM Berlin accelerate commercialization amid EU Green Deal tailwinds.