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FROM WASTE TO VALUE

Our Mission

We convert mixed, unsorted waste – material destined for landfill or incineration – into a stable biomass intermediate that can be upgraded into high-value products.

Our platform accepts different waste streams and enables multiple product pathways, with FDCA – a building block for sustainable plastics – as our first market.

Our Technology

Patented two-step fermentation platform, operated as a hub-and-spoke process.

Click to watch the technology video

Step 1: Waste to Biomass (Spokes)

Operated on waste sites
Lowest-cost waste feedstocks
Modular and scalable

By processing waste where it is generated, we access low-cost feedstocks and convert variable waste streams into a stable biomass intermediate for downstream production.

Step 2: Biomass to Product (Hub)

Operated at central site
Controlled and repeatable
Configured for specific products

At the hub, the biomass intermediate is converted into a target product using producer bacterial strains matched to that product, with FDCA as the first product to market.

Our Team

Dr Peter Knight, CEO

Dr Samantha Bryan, CTO

Andrew Rogan, CFO

Dr Edward Spence, Senior Scientist

Dr Pierre Reitzer, Scientist

Dr Sean Craig, Scientist

Dr Reza Danesh-Azari, Scientist

Andrew Rogan

CFO and Co-Founder

Andrew is responsible for all financial activities at 17Cicada, including management reporting, regulatory submissions and treasury management. He holds an MBA from Cass Business School in London, and is both a CFA Charterholder and Chartered Accountant. He studied Mathematics at The University of Birmingham. Before joining 17Cicada, Andrew spent 5 years as the Finance Director of the UK’s leading deeptech fund.

Dr Reza Danesh-Azari

Scientist

Reza is a strain engineer, helping to design and refine the microbes that make 17Cicada’s sustainable products. He studied at the University of York for both his undergraduate and master’s degrees, then went on to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham, trying to encourage non-conventional microbial chassis to make amino acids. Reza loves the challenge of working with bacteria that are tough to engineer and enjoys finding new tools and techniques to make it possible. Since joining 17Cicada, he’s worked on a range of projects across the company, applying his skills to help tackle diverse scientific challenges.

Dr Sean Craig

Scientist

Sean is a microbiologist who is a graduate from the University of Dundee and Birkbeck, University of London. Sean obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham studying hydrogen metabolism in cyanobacteria. Sean has a passion for microbial physiology and has expertise in genetic manipulation of a variety of microbes including Bacillus sp., Streptomyces sp. & Cyanobacteria.

Dr Pierre Reitzer

Scientist

Pierre is a fermentation specialist. He graduated from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Toulouse (INSA Toulouse) and did his Ph.D. in the characterisation of bacteria involved in the degradation of plastics at the University of Nottingham. His interests include the valorisation of waste products and production of industrial chemicals from waste to create circular value for the economy. His expertise includes genetic and metabolic engineering, as well as large scale fermentation. He has worked with a variety of organisms including Bacillus sp., Cupriavidus sp., Streptomyces sp. and multiple types of cyanobacteria.

Dr Edward Spence

Senior Scientist

Edd is a Senior Scientist at 17Cicada. His current research focuses on the innovative field of waste valorisation, harnessing the power of micro-organisms for the production of valuable commercial chemicals. Outside of the lab, Dr. Spence enjoys pursuing his passion for hiking and exploring the outdoors.

Dr Samantha Bryan

CTO and Co-Founder

Samantha (Sam) Bryan is an Assistant Professor in White Biotechnology at the University of Nottingham. She has a background in molecular biology and extensive experience in the physiology of bacteria and developing the biotechnological potential of bacterial chassis. Her research focuses on engineering bacteria to produce a range of useful products from waste. She is based in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, in the Advanced Materials Research Group (AMRG), Bioengineering and Biotechnology, which combines expertise in biocatalysis, synthetic biology, chemistry, materials science, and process engineering.

Dr Peter Knight

CEO and Co-Founder

Peter is a Ph.D. scientist and entrepreneur with experience of translating research from University labs into industrial processes and products in start-up and scale-up companies. He has managed multiple product deliveries (TRL 3-6) in diverse areas including battery recycling, water purification, and biotechnology. Prior to 17Cicada, he has been involved with three University spin-out companies, two of them as a co-founder.