Avantium in the 2013 Global Cleantech 100

    AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, October 10, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Today Cleantech Group, a global market intelligence and consulting firm announced that Avantium, is named in the prestigious 2013 Global Cleantech 100. This is the fourth year in a row that Avantium is named in this unique list, in which the promise of private clean technology companies from all around the world is highlighted. The Cleantech Group focuses on those companies which the players in the market feel are currently the most likely to make the most significant market impact over the next 5-10 years.

"This is our fourth consecutive year to be named in the Global Cleantech Top 100. We are very pleased that the jury confirms our potential to change the world with our YXY technology to produce PEF. It is our goal to make PEF the next generation plastic. Avantium was listed in the Global Cleantech 100 in 2010 for the first time, and our progress has accelerated since that period. We established partnerships with The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, and ALPLA. These industry leaders joined Avantium in developing and commercializing PEF bottles for major consumer markets. We have successfully scaled our YXY technology from lab to pilot plant scale. Our 100% biobased PEF bottles perform superiorly compared to today's bottles at competitive costs. Being listed in the Global Cleantech 100 is a great recognition of our progress at an important time in the development of our company," said Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium.

The list is derived from Cleantech Group's own data and research, combined with the weighted qualitative judgments of hundreds of nominations, and the viewpoints of a global 90-person expert panel. This panel was drawn principally from leading financial investors and representatives of multinational corporations, located in Asia, Europe, and North America. This diversity results in a list of companies that command a broad base of respect and support from many important players within the global cleantech innovation ecosystem. To qualify for the list, companies must be independent, for-profit, cleantech companies that are not listed on any major stock exchange.

"The Global Cleantech 100 is a natural extension of our vision to help corporations and investors connect with innovation around the world," said Sheeraz Haji, CEO of Cleantech Group. "This list celebrates inspiring entrepreneurs, and serves as the industry standard on gauging where innovation is headed across key sectors."

This year 5,864 companies from 60 countries were nominated. These companies were weighted and scored to create a short list of 300 companies. Vital information on these short-listed companies--including key data from Cleantech Group's i3 platform--was presented to the expert panel for final input. The end result was 100 companies from 18 countries.

About Cleantech Group
Cleantech Group helps clients accelerate sustainable innovation. The company's i3 platform allows subscribers to discover companies and explore cleantech trends strategically with proprietary real-time data. Cleantech Forums bring together thought leaders and innovators in the cleantech and sustainability ecosystem. The company's advisory services leverage expertise in designing and executing corporate strategies for sustainable growth and innovation sourcing. Details at www.cleantech.com

For more information about Cleantech Group, please contact Millen Paschich: tel: +1 (415) 233 9712, email: [email protected].

About Avantium
Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced high-throughput R&D. The company develops and commercializes YXY - the brand name for its technology platform to catalytically convert plant based carbohydrates into chemical building blocks like Furanics and Levulinics. These chemical building blocks can be applied for making green materials with superior product properties at competitive pricing. Currently the focus of the YXY technology platform is on a building block called FDCA, (2,5- furandicarboxylic acid). FDCA can be polymerized together with ethylene glycol (EG) to form PEF (Polyethelyne Furanoate), which is Avantium's lead application. Combined with the significant reduction in carbon footprint, PEF fulfills key criteria to become the next generation biobased plastics for bottles, film and fibers. PEF for example has gas barrier to oxygen, carbon dioxide and water is superior to PET, leading to longer product shelf life and offering the potential for light weighting of packages. Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical industries. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Avantium is running an YXY pilot plant in Geleen, the Netherlands.

For more information about Avantium, please contact Mariette Hoogendoorn: tel: +31 (0)20 5868010, email: [email protected].

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