Kiverdi Wins Edison Award for Its Sustainable Process for Converting Carbon-Rich Waste Into Chemicals and Fuels

Kiverdi, Inc., a privately held company that makes sustainable oils and oil-derived chemicals converted from carbon-rich waste, announced today that its Carbon Engineering^TM platform won the coveted 2012 Edison Award in Energy and Sustainability.

Kiverdi has developed a biochemical process for the capture and transformation of waste carbon into sustainable oils and advanced chemicals without requiring sourcing and storing repurposed food staples such as sugar, corn, palm, or soy. With Kiverdi's Carbon Engineering^TM platform, proprietary microbes are able to transform carbon from industrial flue gases or syngas from manufacturing waste, wood waste, or landfills into advanced chemicals. The chemicals produced can serve as a sustainable alternative to the petrochemicals and oleochemicals that are used to manufacture a wide range of industrial and consumer products, ranging from plastics and detergents to fuels and fuel additives.

Kiverdi is addressing the growing demand for cost-competitive, sustainably sourced products that have a low-carbon footprint and that do not compete with food. Approximately 50% of consumer products, for example, are currently produced with palm oil and palm kernel oil. Kiverdi's biochemical process is able to produce oils that can serve as direct replacements for these and other oils without risks to rainforests or food supplies.

Edison Award nominees were judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science and medicine. The nominees were judged on a set of evaluation criteria built around the following innovation metrics: Concept, Value, Impact and Delivery. Kiverdi was awarded a bronze Edison Award in the category of Energy and Sustainability.

"We are thrilled to have our innovative Carbon Engineering^TM platform recognized by the Edison Awards," said Kiverdi CEO Lisa Dyson, Ph.D. "We very much share their emphasis on the value, impact and delivery of innovation for the benefit of industry, communities, and the planet."

The company also announced that Dr. Dyson will deliver the company presentation on Tuesday, May 1 at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) as part of the Cleantech Investor Sessions at the BIO 9^th Annual World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing in Orlando, Florida April 29-May 2 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center.