How DAB.bio Cut Biomanufacturing Costs Up to 50% and Attracted New Investors in 18 Months With Veteran CCO Hire

In early 2024, DAB.bio, a Dutch industrial biotechnology startup, was ready to move beyond its R&D roots. The company had a breakthrough in continuous fermentation with its patented FAST™ platform, capable of delivering up to 10× higher output and 20–50% cost reduction compared to batch fermentation.  

Yet, the next step — turning this innovation into a commercial success — demanded a different kind of leadership. To bridge the gap between lab success and market traction, DAB.bio brought in Willem-Jan Meijer as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and co-Managing Director in March 2024.  

With 28 years of experience in finance, industrial biotech, and strategy, Meijer’s immediate task was to commercialize FAST™, create industrial partnerships, and generate recurring revenue. His arrival marked the turning point from research-driven progress to market-facing execution.

Key Events That Accelerated Growth From 2024 To 2025

Following Meijer’s appointment, DAB.bio’s momentum unfolded rapidly through a sequence of focused commercial actions.

• March 2024: Willem-Jan Meijer joined DAB.bio as Chief Commercial Officer and co-Managing Director, tasked with leading commercialization and growth.  
• May 2024: DAB.bio formed a strategic partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, joining the Ginkgo Technology Network to integrate FAST™ into Ginkgo’s biotech ecosystem across pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and specialty chemicals.  
• June 2024: Launched ISPRIN, DAB.bio’s first off-the-shelf, lab-scale product enabling continuous in-situ extraction and generating a new revenue stream.  
• Q2–Q4 2024: Executed development agreements with major chemical manufacturers in Germany and the United States to validate FAST™ in large-scale industrial environments.  
• 2024–2025: Expanded global presence through World Bio Markets 2024 and SynBioBeta 2025, solidifying brand leadership in continuous fermentation.  
• October 2025: Secured strategic investment led by Navus Ventures and joined by Capricorn Partners to scale from a 500L pilot unit to industrial fermenters in the tens of thousands of liters.

Each step built on the last, positioning DAB.bio to commercialize FAST™ globally while proving its technical and economic viability.

Unlocking Market Readiness Through A Strategic CCO Appointment

The appointment of Meijer unified DAB.bio’s market strategy, product roadmap, and partnership approach. His extensive background in licensing and joint ventures (particularly at renewable chemicals firm Avantium) enabled him to craft high-value collaborations and commercial pathways that researchers alone could not have established.  

From the outset, Meijer applied a dual-pronged strategy: expand DAB.bio’s ecosystem through alliances like the Ginkgo Bioworks partnership while simultaneously generating immediate revenue with tangible offerings like ISPRIN. This combination accelerated adoption cycles and demonstrated early product-market fit.

Turning Strategic Partnerships And Product Launches Into Market Acceleration

The pivotal moment came in May 2024 when DAB.bio joined the Ginkgo Technology Network. Through this integration, the company gained access to Ginkgo’s global customer base and validated its FAST™ platform among some of the most advanced synthetic biology firms.  

Simultaneously, Meijer championed the development and launch of ISPRIN, which turned the core process technology into a research-scale product available worldwide. It allowed scientists to test continuous extraction benefits in their own labs, providing a “try-before-you-buy” dynamic that expanded DAB.bio’s reach while turning R&D networks into an agile sales channel.

By Q3 2024, early development agreements with chemical manufacturers in Germany and the U.S. were already underway. These pilots served as the foundation for long-term licensing discussions, reducing commercialization risk and anchoring DAB.bio within established industrial value chains.

Securing Major Investment To Scale From Pilot To Industrial Volume

By October 2025, DAB.bio had converted its technological momentum into financial traction. The company announced a strategic funding round led by Navus Ventures, with Capricorn Partners and other investors joining.  

The investment aimed to take FAST™ from demonstration to full production — scaling from the 500L pilot unit at the Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Ghent to systems capable of tens of thousands of liters.  

Backing from these investors validated DAB.bio’s commercial readiness and gave it the capital to expand its commercial and technical teams, manufacture FAST™ units, and position for a full-scale deployment phase.

Transforming From R&D Pioneer To Commercial Scale-Up In 18 Months

By the end of 2025, DAB.bio had achieved a decisive transformation:  

• Successfully completed pilot projects with industrial partners  
• Generated its first revenues through pilot fees, ISPRIN product sales, and technology licenses  
• Established a global footprint across Europe and North America  
• Secured funding to scale into industrial-scale fermentation systems  

In just 18 months, DAB.bio progressed from an R&D-intensive biotech startup to a commercially validated scale-up driving the future of sustainable production.  

The company’s journey demonstrates how one strategic leadership hire — a seasoned CCO — can turn complex biotechnology innovations into tangible commercial success, setting the stage for global industrial impact.

The successful recruitment of Willem-Jan Meijer was facilitated through the executive search expertise of Christian & Timbers, whose role in identifying and securing this leadership talent proved instrumental in enabling DAB.bio’s commercial transformation.