Rhea's Factory

Our Organization

Rhea's Factory

What is the name of your solution?

Rhea's Factory

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

We design and develop novel enzymes for scalable biocatalysis processes to degrade plastic (biorecycling).

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

In what country is your solution team headquartered?

• United States

What type of organization is your solution team?

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

Did you know that plastics are now a permanent marker of our geological era, embedding themselves into the Earth's fossil record? Despite their industrial benefits, the durability of plastics has led to their persistence in nature for centuries. Since their introduction in the 1950s, approximately 9.5 billion tons of plastic have been produced, with about 75% still present on our planet. The overwhelming production and underwhelming recycling of plastics left the majority of the plastics to accumulate in landfills, incinerators, or worse, in our natural environment and oceans. Currently, we lack a large-scale solution to effectively remove this accumulating waste and put them back into the circular economy.

Plastics are crucial in our daily lives, but the imbalance between their high production rate and inadequate end-of-life management results in lost energy, economic challenges, and significant carbon emissions. The main hurdle to increasing plastic recycling rates is the difficulty in processing mixed plastics, which are often left unrecycled due to their complex chemistry and composition. Traditional recycling methods, which primarily involve thermal processing, require extensive sorting and are ineffective for many types of plastics, such as films or mixed materials. This diversity poses a significant challenge for recyclers and manufacturers seeking efficient and sustainable recycling methods.

Plastic produced since 1950s

9.5 B tons

Discarded plastic never been recycled

6 B tons

Dumped in a landfill or incinerated

>90%

Leaking into our oceans

12 M tons/y

Discarded as plastic waste

$100 B/y

Customers, like plastic manufacturers face significant pressure due to government mandates and consumer demands for recycled content in their products. Yet, the existing recycling ecosystem fails to provide high-quality materials that meet both manufacturers' requirements and regulatory standards. This inadequacy forces a reliance on virgin materials, highlighting the critical need for innovation in recycling technologies and a shift towards a circular plastics economy. There is an urgent need for circular plastics economy and we lack innovation in plastic recycling technologies.

What is your solution?

Rhea’s Factory designs novel enzyme blends and develops scalable biocatalysis processes utilizing the power of ML algorithms. Our innovative enzyme blends break down even the most complex, unrecyclable plastics back into their original, high-quality building blocks. These building blocks are indistinguishable from those derived from fossil fuels, enabling the production of premium plastics infinitely that meet both regulatory requirements and manufacturers' high standards, addressing our customers’ critical pain points. This means manufacturers can finally tap into the full potential of recycled plastics, achieving high recycling rates without sacrificing material quality. Our innovation not only diverts waste from landfills but also taps into the economic potential of previously unusable plastic waste, supporting the transition to a circular plastics bioeconomy demanded by governments and consumers alike.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

Enzymatic plastic recycling is considered one of the best sustainable methods for several reasons.

1. First, it's highly efficient. Enzymes can specifically target and break down plastics like PET, often found in bottles, into their original building blocks. This process allows for recycling at a molecular level, making it more thorough than traditional mechanical recycling.
2. Second, it's environmentally friendly. Enzymatic recycling usually operates under mild conditions, requiring less energy and producing fewer greenhouse gases compared to conventional methods. Plus, the process doesn't generate harmful byproducts.
3. Third, it supports the creation of high-quality recycled materials. Unlike mechanical recycling, which can degrade the quality of plastics over time, enzymatic recycling can maintain or even improve the quality of the recycled material. This high quality enables the recycled materials to be used in more applications.
4. Lastly, enzymatic recycling helps in dealing with plastic waste more effectively. Traditional methods can't recycle certain types of plastics, but enzymatic processes have the potential to handle a wider range of plastic materials. This versatility is key in addressing the global plastic waste challenge.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

Our team, currently consists of two full time co-founders, is drawing upon a rich experience and expertise in both the scientific and technological domains. 

Arzu, our co-founder and CEO, has a rich background in molecular biology and biochemistry, where her expertise in enzyme mechanisms and molecular interactions has been refined through years of scholarly research. Transitioning to the fast-paced world of biotech, she has broadened her expertise to include the discovery and engineering of enzymes and bacterial genomes. Her focus is on enhancing their practicality for real-world applications, particularly in synthetic biology and pharmaceuticals.

Arzu is known for her initiative and compassionate approach to leadership, with a vibrant passion for leveraging her scientific knowledge to make a lasting, positive mark on the environment.

With nearly two decades of experience as a biochemist and enzyme engineer, her journey has been characterized by a deep dive into the complexities of enzyme engineering and synthetic biology within both academic circles and the biotech industry. Arzu's most recent endeavor saw her at the core of a climate-tech startup, where she was not just the first team member but also led the bioengineering department. There, she was key in shaping the technology strategy and establishing the foundational technical framework of the company, driven by her dedication to making a meaningful contribution to the health of our planet.

Mert, our co-founder and CTO, perfectly complements Arzu's expertise in science with his extensive background in the high-tech sector. With a career spanning over twenty years at leading firms like Google and Amazon, Mert has played a significant role in creating and launching groundbreaking products, utilizing the latest in machine learning, including developments in natural language processing. His deep passion for technology and constant exploration of new advancements have made him a key asset to our team.

As an expert in technology development and management, Mert's experience is vast, having contributed to major projects at Google, Amazon, and Western Digital. His work has been pivotal in the success of products such as Google's Smart Speakers and Smart Displays, as well as YouTube's Trust and Safety algorithms.

Mert's innovation extends beyond technology; he's also an accomplished athlete. As a dedicated age group triathlete, he has completed several full and half Ironman distances, even securing a win in his age group at the 2023 Santa Cruz Olympic Distance Triathlon. His diverse skills and achievements highlight his innovative spirit in machine learning, health and fitness technology, and strategic product management, making him an invaluable member of our leadership team.

Together, Arzu and Mert have a powerful synergy of scientific insight and technological innovation. Their combined decades of experience are underpinned by a shared commitment to leveraging their expertise for meaningful impact. This alignment in values and vision—to drive technological and scientific advancements for a better future—makes our team not just unique, but exceptionally qualified to lead our startup towards its ambitious goals.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

• 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
• 13. Climate Action
• 15. Life on Land

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Please share details about why you selected the stage above.

As of early March 2024, Rhea's Factory is advancing through the prototyping stage of our groundbreaking technology. Our focus is on an enzyme blend designed to tackle what was once considered unrecyclable: complex, multi-layered packaging materials, converting them back into their fundamental components. Initial tests have validated the efficacy of our enzymes on single-type post-consumer plastics. Currently, our efforts are concentrated on proving the capability of this enzyme blend to process intricate, layered materials. Specifically, our prototype aims to demonstrate the effective breakdown of poly-coated paper using a duo of enzymes, including a superior plastic-degrading enzyme sourced under license from the University of Texas at Austin.

In conjunction with our work on enzyme blend prototyping, we are diligently developing the foundation of our REDAI (Rhea's Enzyme Development Artificial Intelligence) architecture. This effort is illustrated by our creation of approximately 100 sequence variations derived from the enzyme targeted for enhancement. These variations serve as a basis for evaluating initial fitness, functionality, and thermostability, providing crucial data to refine and advance our enzyme design process.

Why are you applying to Solve?

The path we are on is long and difficult however has significant potential impact on sustainability and climate hence we need support from community of social impact leaders. As well as, our technology can be categorized as hard tech which means we need the proper financial support during the development and adaption of the technology phases.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

• Business Model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
• Technology (e.g. software or hardware, web development/design)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Arzu Sandikci