Level Nine secures €4M to reinvent industrial catalysts
Early-stage startup Level Nine has raised €4 million to develop a new generation of AI-designed nanozyme catalysts that promise cleaner, cheaper production of essential chemicals from renewable biomass. Investors are backing the company’s vision of a modular “Lego for catalysts” platform that could help stabilise Europe’s embattled €1 trillion chemical sector.
AI nanozymes to turn biomass into high-value chemicals
The core of Level Nine’s technology is a library of engineered nanozymes — synthetic enzyme-like particles — that can be digitally combined and tuned to drive specific chemical reactions. Using advanced AI algorithms and computational chemistry, the startup designs and optimises these building blocks to convert agricultural and forestry biomass into key intermediates for plastics, fuels, and specialty chemicals.
Unlike traditional metal-based catalysts, which are often expensive, toxic, and difficult to recycle, nanozymes can be tailored for higher selectivity, lower energy consumption, and reduced waste. This could significantly cut carbon emissions and operating costs for large chemical plants facing mounting environmental regulation and global competition.
Addressing Europe’s collapsing chemical industry
Europe’s chemical industry has been squeezed by soaring energy prices, stricter climate rules, and cheaper production in other regions. Many facilities are scaling back or shutting down, threatening supply chains across pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and advanced materials. Investors see Level Nine’s platform as a strategic tool to help European producers transition from fossil feedstocks to renewable inputs without sacrificing performance.
Modular ‘Lego’ design for rapid deployment
By treating catalysts as configurable modules — much like assembling Lego bricks — Level Nine aims to shorten development cycles from years to months. Chemical manufacturers could select, test, and deploy tailored nanozyme combinations for existing reactors, accelerating process innovation while limiting capital expenditure.
The fresh €4 million will be used to expand the company’s catalyst library, scale laboratory and pilot testing with industrial partners, and strengthen its AI modelling capabilities. If successful, Level Nine could become a foundational technology supplier for the next generation of low-carbon chemical production in Europe and beyond.