Energy climate

Birch Biosciences

Website

Birch Biosciences engineers enzymes for plastic recycling using synthetic biology and machine learning. Our enzymes function as high performance “molecular scissors” that efficiently break down plastic polymers into chemical building blocks that can be used to manufacture high quality recycled plastic products. Today, plastic manufacturing is u

Founded 2021Origin source ↗Checked 2026-09-15

Overview

Birch Biosciences engineers enzymes for plastic recycling using synthetic biology and machine learning. Our enzymes function as high performance “molecular scissors” that efficiently break down plastic polymers into chemical building blocks that can be used to manufacture high quality recycled plastic products. Today, plastic manufacturing is unsustainable and a major driver of climate change. Birch Biosciences is developing an economical end-to-end plastic recycling process that reduces carbon emissions by 70% and enables a circular plastic economy.

Company description As recorded 2026-11-08
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Founders & team

Johan Kers

Founder

Johan is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Birch Biosciences. He has spent the last 15 years programming bacteria and genetic circuits to produce novel therapeutic proteins and other natural products at leading companies including Absci and Ginkgo Bioworks. Johan is especially interested in solving major sustainability problems using biotechnology. He holds a PhD from Cornell University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Founder profile As recorded 2026-09-15
10team members reported
Source-reported As recorded 2026-09-15

Founded 2021 · Source

News & product activity

Sources & observations

Y Combinator

Profile depthverified profile
Website observationwebsite reachable
Last website check2026-11-11
Location · source statedPortland, OR, USA
Pricing evidenceNo pricing page confirmed
Maturity: Not assessed · 3 of 6 areas documented

Source-based assessment · automated evidence rules

The retained text does not establish product availability or customer use.

Maturity is an evidence-based assessment, not a success rating. It may understate the current stage where evidence is limited. Coverage records documented areas, not a complete or independently audited company history.

Stage definitions
independent websitesource corroborationreachable websitedescriptive evidenceclassified market and modelsourced peoplesourced founding year
startup.observe Directory coverage · Sources & method