Symbio Bioculinary brings fungal biorefinery technology and bioprocess design software to Illinois’ fermentation and agriculture biomanufacturing ecosystem (iFAB) Symbio announces it has joined the iFAB Tech Hub as a strategic partner.
iFAB is building a nationally significant fermentation and agriculture biomanufacturing cluster anchored in central Illinois, spanning Champaign, Piatt, and Macon Counties. As a strategic partner, Symbio joins a growing network of industry leaders, economic development organizations, and research institutions advancing biomanufacturing across the region.
“iFAB is creating exactly the kind of collaborative ecosystem that biomanufacturing needs to scale,” said Elliott Notrica, founder and CEO of Symbio Bioculinary. “Being part of this hub connects us with the partners, talent, and infrastructure that accelerate the shift toward a more circular food system. We’re proud to contribute our technology and expertise to a region that’s becoming a center of gravity for fermentation and biomanufacturing.”
As part of the partnership, Symbio offers iFAB partners preferred pricing on licenses to the Symbio Platform, a computational workbench for sustainable bioprocess design. The offering complements Symbio’s core technology: on-site biorefineries that use engineered Aspergillus oryzae to convert food processing and agricultural waste into high-value food-grade ingredients and additives, turning a cost liability into a new revenue stream for producers.
Strategic partners participate in iFAB’s working Councils, which focus on areas including Government Relations, Workforce Development, Infrastructure, Strategy & Operations, and Access to Capital & Entrepreneurship.
About Symbio Bioculinary
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, Symbio Bioculinary uses fungi in on-site biorefineries to transform food processing and agricultural waste into sustainable food-grade commodity ingredients and additives. The company works with clients from R&D through implementation, building modular bioprocessing systems customized to each producer’s unique waste streams.
About iFAB Tech Hub
The Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub is building a leading fermentation and agriculture biomanufacturing cluster in central Illinois, spanning Champaign, Piatt, and Macon Counties. iFAB convenes consortium members, strategic partners, and economic development organizations to advance biomanufacturing innovation, workforce development, and infrastructure across the region. Learn more at www.ifabtechhub.org.
On-site bioprocessing aligns with the national effort to put America’s surplus food to its highest and best use. Symbio Bioculinary announced today that it has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Feed It Onward initiative.
Feed It Onward is an EPA initiative, launched as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, that lends a national platform to the farmers, businesses, nonprofits, and communities working to ensure good food is put to use instead of turned to waste. In the United States, more than one-third of all food goes uneaten, making food the single largest contributor to the nation’s landfills.
Symbio joined the initiative because it spotlights solutions to the problem the company was built around: a food system that discards enormous value rather than capturing it. Feed It Onward represents a national commitment to ensuring good food is put to its highest use — the same vision behind Symbio’s on-site bioprocessing platform to transform food manufacturing waste into rare sugars, antioxidants, peptides, enzymes, and other high-value ingredients that food producers can reintegrate into production or sell as new revenue streams.
Joining the initiative reflects Symbio’s belief that solving food waste requires coordination and cooperation across the entire value chain. Being part of a broader national ecosystem of innovators, producers, and policymakers accelerates the shift toward a more circular food system.
“We joined Feed It Onward because food waste is not a fringe issue; it’s a $382 billion annual liability for American food producers and one of the largest contributors to our environmental footprint,” said Elliott Notrica, founder and CEO of Symbio Bioculinary. “Symbio exists to change that, and Feed It Onward brings together the businesses, organizations and communities that share that urgency. We’re proud to be part of a growing national movement that treats food waste as the solvable problem it is.”
By eliminating transport and producing food-grade outputs on-site, Symbio’s modular systems turn a cost liability into a new revenue stream for food and agricultural manufacturers, improving producer margins while reducing the environmental impact of wasted food.
About Symbio Bioculinary
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, Symbio Bioculinary deploys on-site precision fermentation systems inside food manufacturing facilities, converting waste into food-grade ingredients and additives and transforming a cost liability into a new revenue stream. The company works with clients from R&D through implementation, building modular bioprocessing systems customized to each producer’s unique waste streams and operational needs.
About Feed It Onward
Feed It Onward is a voluntary initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, launched as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebration. It partners with farms, restaurants, grocery stores, food brands, military bases, and innovators to put surplus food to its highest and best use in communities across America. Learn more at www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/feed-it-onward.
Disclaimer: Use of the Feed It Onward name, the Feed It Onward icon or the Feed It Onward 250 icon does not constitute an endorsement by EPA of the Partner or their products, services, or enterprises, or any fundraising activity or promotion.
Symbio has joined the Circular Bioeconomy Innovation Collaborative (CBIO), a regional coalition working to advance circular bioeconomy development in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The Collaborative brings together partners across agriculture, research institutions, industry, workforce development, and community organizations to strengthen the region’s bio-based innovation ecosystem.
CBIO was launched in 2023 with support from a National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines Development award and formally entered its implementation phase in 2025 following a two-year strategic planning effort. Its structure includes leadership and steering committees focused on research, workforce development, community engagement, and industry coordination.
Symbio’s work in transforming agricultural and food system byproducts into higher-value applications aligns with CBIO’s regional focus on biomass utilization and sustainable biomanufacturing. Participation in the Collaborative provides an opportunity to engage more directly with local feedstock suppliers, research partners, and industry stakeholders operating within California’s agricultural heartland.
Through this membership, Symbio will contribute to ongoing conversations and projects aimed at strengthening regional supply chains and advancing practical circular bioeconomy solutions. The goal is steady, collaborative progress toward more resilient and resource-efficient food and agricultural systems.
Symbio Bioculinary has been selected as a World Business Chicago (WBC) Startup Portfolio Company, as confirmed by its inclusion on the official Chicago Venture Summit Startup Portfolio listing. This designation recognizes the company as part of a group of high-potential ventures contributing to Chicago’s innovation economy.
World Business Chicago’s Startup Portfolio highlights emerging companies that demonstrate strong market potential, industry leadership, and alignment with the city’s strategic growth sectors. Symbio Bioculinary’s inclusion reflects its role in advancing new capabilities within food biotechnology, circular economy solutions, and sustainable manufacturing technologies.
The company develops bioprocessing platforms, ingredient innovations, and upcycled-material technologies that support more resilient and environmentally aligned supply chains for manufacturers. Its selection to the WBC portfolio underscores the increasing relevance of these solutions across the food, agriculture, and industrial biotech sectors.
As part of the WBC ecosystem, Symbio Bioculinary is positioned within a network of investors, industry partners, and civic stakeholders working to strengthen Chicago’s position as a global hub for food innovation and climate-aligned industry.
Symbio Bioculinary has been named a Top 50 team in the 2026 Baylor New Venture Competition (NVC), a national entrepreneurship contest organized by Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. The recognition highlights Symbio’s work in sustainable food manufacturing, food-waste upcycling, and bioprocessing technologies that convert surplus bakery, cocoa, and other food production materials into high-value ingredients.
As a Top 50 team, Symbio is eligible to advance to subsequent rounds of the competition, where it will present its business plan and capital table for evaluation by the NVC judges. Teams advancing to the Top 10 are invited to compete on-site at Baylor University, with opportunities to receive awards and further recognition.
The Baylor New Venture Competition is widely regarded as a platform for early-stage innovators to gain exposure to investors, mentors, and industry leaders while receiving expert feedback to refine business models. Symbio’s inclusion underscores its position as a leading emerging company in the circular food economy and food technology sector.
Symbio Bioculinary was selected as one of six startups to present at the Startup Alley Happy Hour during 1871 Food Tech, a premier event connecting innovators, restaurateurs, and investors in the food technology sector. The feature, titled “A Conversation with Kevin Boehm: Co-Founder of Boka Restaurant Group, James Beard Winner, and Author,” highlighted thought leadership and innovation in the food and restaurant industries.
During the event, Symbio pitched its sustainable food manufacturing and food-waste upcycling technologies, demonstrating how microbial bioprocessing can transform surplus bakery dough, cocoa husks, and other production byproducts into high-value, functional ingredients. The Startup Alley format provided an intimate networking environment for Symbio to engage directly with investors, industry professionals, and culinary leaders, showcasing its impact on circular food systems and sustainable manufacturing.
Participation in 1871 Food Tech positions Symbio among a select group of emerging food tech innovators, reinforcing the company’s role as a leader in applying biotechnology to solve real-world challenges in the food industry while fostering connections with key stakeholders in Chicago’s culinary and technology ecosystem.
