Belgian biotech startup AmphiStar has announced a strategic partnership with Kensing, a US-based producer of specialty surfactants and plant-based ingredients, to introduce new biosurfactants to the North American personal care market.
The partnership will combine AmphiStar’s IP-backed biosurfactant platform, produced entirely from agri-food waste, with Kensing’s industrial capabilities and market access.
The companies aim to disrupt the conventional surfactant supply chain with a circular, sustainable alternative. Using microbial fermentation and biobased waste streams, AmphiStar’s biosurfactants promise a significantly lower environmental impact compared to both petrochemical-based and first-generation biosurfactants derived from palm oil or other crops.
“Kensing’s scientific expertise in formulation and production of plant-based ingredients, coupled with our novel biomanufacturing technology platform makes this an ideal and complementary partnership that will not only help us bring our sustainable biosurfactants to the North American market, but also see us jointly develop and launch new ones in the future,” said Pierre-Franck Valentin, CEO of AmphiStar.
Through the agreement, Kensing gains exclusive rights to market AmphiStar’s biosurfactants in North America. The companies also plan to localize supply chains, with ambitions to establish US-based production using regional feedstocks, including byproducts from Kensing’s own operations. This could reduce transportation emissions and support the shift toward decentralized manufacturing in the personal care and home care (HI&I) sectors.
“This partnership with AmphiStar reflects Kensing’s bold commitment to leapfrog into the next generation of biosurfactants,” said Serge Rogasik, President and CEO of Kensing. “By combining AmphiStar’s cutting-edge upcycled biosurfactant technology with Kensing’s industrial scale and market reach, we are unlocking a new era of high-performance biosurfactants - formulated from upcycled biowaste, free from conventional feedstock constraints, and offering both formulation versatility and the potential for highly competitive economics at scale.”
The move comes amid growing demand in the cosmetics and personal care industries for eco-friendly ingredients. Consumers and formulators alike are increasingly rejecting fossil-based and palm-derived surfactants due to concerns over deforestation, carbon emissions, and biodiversity loss. Yet replacing them at scale has remained a challenge.
Beyond launching existing biosurfactants, the partners plan to co-develop AmphiStar’s growing library of 80 ‘designer’ biosurfactant molecules. These tailored compounds can be used across applications, from shampoos and lotions to agrochemicals and industrial cleaners, enabling both companies to address multiple high-margin verticals. Kensing, which was spun out of BASF in 2021, has rapidly grown its presence in the plant-based ingredient market. It has earned accolades for sustainability performance, including EcoVadis Gold and CDP A- ratings. The AmphiStar partnership marks a new chapter in its strategy to diversify into next-generation biochemicals.
AmphiStar, meanwhile, continues to scale its microbial fermentation platform and commercial footprint in Europe and abroad. Its technology stands out in a crowded field due to its non-reliance on virgin crops or fossil inputs, and its ability to produce biosurfactants continuously and at low cost.
The global biosurfactant market is expected to exceed $3 billion by 2030, driven by demand from personal care, household cleaning, and agriculture. While traditional surfactants dominate the sector today, regulatory pressure and corporate sustainability goals are accelerating the shift to greener alternatives.
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