Summary of Client & Challenge They Faced
A sustainable plastics producer had developed intellectual property around the conversion of organic waste into polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHA. The company needed to evaluate the scalability of its technology for commercialization. However, their team had only worked at lab scale and their management had no experience taking technology from bench scale trials to commercial scale production. The plastics producer needed help evaluating their technology and capabilities, and they required a strategic plan for commercializing the technology.
Our Approach to the Solution
LEC experts began by gathering data on the proposed technology and a document request list was sent to the company. Subsequently, a secure data room was created and populated with technical and financial documents including business plans and documentation from previous rounds of financing.
When the LEC team made a thorough review of the plastic producer’s documentation, it became apparent that there were gaps in their know-how and inconsistencies in lab results. The gaps in information were significant enough that the proforma assumptions couldn’t be supported.
Working in the company’s best interests, LEC experts met with the leadership team to discuss redirecting their efforts. Before developing a strategic plan for commercializing the technology, the company would need to fill the gaps in their business planning. Once this due diligence was complete, a straightforward route to commercialization would emerge.
After the new direction was approved, the LEC team presented the plastics producer with a strategic plan to identify and fill the gaps in their knowledge and generate the required lab results to support their claims. Potential contractors who could aid in the execution of the plan were
shortlisted for approval by the company.
Client Results & Benefits
As a result of the proactive effort taken by the LEC team, the sustainable plastics producer was able to build a complete business case for their technology including important points of validation. This helped the company avoid costly errors when scaling up its production and provided its investors with a more transparent picture of the potential commercial applications.