Neela Biotech raises $2.8 million pre-seed funding

Key points

• Cambridge-based biotech startup Neela Biotech has raised $2.8 million in pre-seed funding to move its waste-to-SAF technology from the lab to a pilot-scale trial at a biogas plant over the next two years.
• The company converts diverse waste streams from food, agriculture and forest residue into fatty acids — a critical precursor for HEFA-based SAF production — through an AI-guided, controlled microbial process, positioning abundant waste streams as an alternative to scarce waste cooking oils.