MicroBite, a Hyderabad-based ethanol startup, has developed a disruptive chemical engineering innovation called GammaBox Technology, which aims to revolutionize the biofuel industry. The company aims to produce bioethanol at an equivalent of the conventional batch time and at a fraction of the market average CapEx, making it cost-effective and simpler in operations.
India’s ambitious national bioethanol blending program aims to reduce the fuel imports of the country by ~20% by blending fuel with bio Ethanol. However, the capital requirement in setting up an ethanol plant makes it out of bounds for smaller players in the country, creating an entry barrier for smaller sugar mills. MicroBite aims to integrate smaller players of the sugar and ethanol industry to improve profitability with a dispersed supply chain mechanism.
MicroBite’s GammaBox machinery operates on a continuous process, reducing the reaction time, and improves control over the reaction. The machinery operates on a dual-input system, i.e., both grains and molasses can be used as raw materials, depending on their prices and availability. Due to this, the machinery is offered at a fraction of the existing market price. MicroBite aims to serve India’s ever-growing ethanol industry.
Founded in September 2021, MicroBite has a total of 32 patents currently pending with the patent office. The company began with its proprietary flagship fermentation technology and machinery covered by 12 patents. However, realizing that the current practices in the existing industry players need improvement, MicroBite has developed 4 patents in the section of sterilization, 6 patents in distillation, and 10 patents in other operational sections within the ethanol manufacturing system. Currently, the R&D team is actively engaged in filing an additional 9 patents, corresponding to the extension of the fermentation technology into the production of refined fuels using proprietary enzymes.
MicroBite’s co-founder, Praveen Kumar Gorakavi, received recognition as Forbes 30 under 30, Asia – Healthcare and Science in the year 2019. He is well-recognized as a former child prodigy and polymath for his works in various fields of S&I since his childhood. He is a recipient of the Presidential Award, National Science Medal & the state of AP’s Highest Civilian Honour – Ugadi Puraskar. At 15, he designed a low-cost artificial leg with knee and ankle movement and invented a low-cost brailler. Praveen has commercialized 28 technologies that serve over a million people each day. Phi Factory, the previous venture of MicroBite, received the Economic Times Innovation Award 2020 in the Innovation to Drive Sustainability for the year 2020 category, beating several Fortune500 companies in the category.
MicroBite aims to generate revenue from four streams: selling ethanol to Oil Marketing Cos. (OMCs) from their own TS 01 plant, entering into joint ventures with sugar mills and large ethanol plants, offering turnkey solutions to sugar mills, and offering long-term service contracts for maintenance and upgradation of machines.
