Pili

Colorants are essential to modern manufacturing, yet their production relies almost entirely on petrochemical processes. Synthetic dyes and pigments are widely used in textiles, plastics, inks, paints, and coatings, but they are typically produced from fossil resources through energy-intensive chemical reactions. The global color industry is therefore associated with significant greenhouse-gas emissions as well as the use of hazardous chemicals. As industries face increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint, new approaches are emerging that rethink how color molecules are produced. Pili, a French biotechnology company founded in 2015, develops bio-based dyes and pigments designed to replace petrochemical colorants. Using industrial fermentation combined with green chemistry, the company produces aromatic molecules from renewable biomass instead of fossil feedstocks. These molecules can then be converted into high-performance dyes and pigments suitable for large-scale industrial applications, enabling more sustainable color production.

Technology and Product

Pili’s technology combines industrial fermentation with organic chemistry to produce aromatic molecules from renewable biomass. In the first stage, microorganisms convert plant-based sugars into biobased chemical intermediates through controlled fermentation. These intermediates are then transformed into dyes, pigments, and specialty molecules using processes designed to minimize waste and energy use. One of the company’s flagship products is Eco-Indigo, a biobased alternative to petrochemical indigo widely used in denim dyeing. The process enables the production of high-performance colorants compatible with many existing dyeing and coating systems. By replacing fossil-derived intermediates with renewable feedstocks, the technology can provide a scalable pathway toward low-carbon color manufacturing.

Bio-based dye and pigment samples produced using Pili’s fermentation-based technology. (© Marie-Sarah Adenis)

Industrial Fit and Applications

Colorants are used across numerous industrial sectors, including textiles, plastics, inks, paints, and coatings. Many of these industries are seeking lower-carbon materials as regulations tighten and brands adopt sustainability targets. Pili’s biobased dyes are designed as drop-in alternatives to conventional petrochemical colorants, enabling manufacturers to reduce their environmental impact without changing existing production processes. Initial commercial focus lies in the textile industry, particularly denim dyeing, where indigo is used at large scale. By offering renewable and traceable color molecules, the company aims to support the transition toward more sustainable chemical and materials supply chains.

Fermentation process used to produce renewable chemical intermediates for Pili’s dyes. (© Hipolito)

Founding Team

Pili was founded in 2015 by Jérémie Blache (CEO), Guillaume Boissonnat-Wu (Managing Director), Marie-Sarah Adenis (Creative Director), and Thomas Landrain. The company emerged from interdisciplinary collaboration between biology, chemistry, and design communities exploring sustainable alternatives to petrochemical dyes.