Fifty Years

Fifty Years is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that backs founders using technology to tackle the world’s biggest problems. The firm seeks ventures that, if successful, will be highly profitable while making a meaningful impact on sustainable development goals. It is entrepreneur-driven and focuses on early-stage investments in North America and Europe across technology and related sectors including energy, climate tech, materials, bioengineering, transportation, hardware, computation, communication, and health.

Ela Madej

Managing Partner

Scott Phoenix

Partner

David Phoenix

Partner

Alex Teng Ph.D

Partner

Past deals in Chemical

Molten Industries

Series A in 2024
Molten Industries specializes in developing clean technology aimed at decarbonizing the hydrogen market. Its innovative platform combines methane-splitting and electrolysis technologies, featuring integrated thermal control and modular design for low-emission performance. This enables various industrial sectors to access cleaner hydrogen inputs with reduced environmental impact and scalable deployment.

Solugen

Series D in 2022
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Molten Industries

Seed Round in 2022
Molten Industries specializes in developing clean technology aimed at decarbonizing the hydrogen market. Its innovative platform combines methane-splitting and electrolysis technologies, featuring integrated thermal control and modular design for low-emission performance. This enables various industrial sectors to access cleaner hydrogen inputs with reduced environmental impact and scalable deployment.

Solugen

Series C in 2021
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Solugen

Series B in 2020
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Solugen

Series B in 2019
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Solugen

Series A in 2018
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Lygos

Series B in 2018
Lygos is a Berkeley, California based biotechnology company that engineers microbes to convert sugars into high-value industrial chemicals where biological production is cost-advantaged over petrochemicals. Throughput screening and strain construction enable rapid optimization of metabolic pathways to transform cheap, renewable feedstocks into scalable chemical products. The company pursues sustainable specialty chemicals designed to replace persistent and toxic substances with safer, cleaner, cost-effective alternatives. With a multidisciplinary, vertically integrated platform, Lygos collaborates with partners across the value chain to deliver high-performing, environmentally beneficial solutions for business customers. Founded in 2011, Lygos serves B2B clients by developing and delivering products that combine performance with environmental benefits.

Solugen

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Solugen, Inc. is a specialty chemicals company based in Houston, Texas, founded in 2016. It focuses on producing industrial chemicals through the application of biotechnology and green chemistry, specifically utilizing plant-derived substitutes to replace petroleum-based products. The company offers a range of products, including BioPeroxide, a carbon-negative hydrogen peroxide, and BioChelate, a biodegradable chelant. Other offerings include ScavSol, a multivalent metal sequestrant for energy applications, ScaleSol, an alternative to phosphonates for scale control, and CorrSol, which addresses corrosion and fouling. Solugen's innovative approach combines fermentation and petrochemical processing along with advancements in synthetic biology and enzymatic technology, enabling it to create environmentally friendly chemicals from bio-based feedstocks. Its solutions cater to diverse industries such as agriculture, cleaning, energy, and water, contributing to reduced costs and lower carbon emissions while promoting sustainability.

Lygos

Series A in 2016
Lygos is a Berkeley, California based biotechnology company that engineers microbes to convert sugars into high-value industrial chemicals where biological production is cost-advantaged over petrochemicals. Throughput screening and strain construction enable rapid optimization of metabolic pathways to transform cheap, renewable feedstocks into scalable chemical products. The company pursues sustainable specialty chemicals designed to replace persistent and toxic substances with safer, cleaner, cost-effective alternatives. With a multidisciplinary, vertically integrated platform, Lygos collaborates with partners across the value chain to deliver high-performing, environmentally beneficial solutions for business customers. Founded in 2011, Lygos serves B2B clients by developing and delivering products that combine performance with environmental benefits.

Lygos

Seed Round in 2016
Lygos is a Berkeley, California based biotechnology company that engineers microbes to convert sugars into high-value industrial chemicals where biological production is cost-advantaged over petrochemicals. Throughput screening and strain construction enable rapid optimization of metabolic pathways to transform cheap, renewable feedstocks into scalable chemical products. The company pursues sustainable specialty chemicals designed to replace persistent and toxic substances with safer, cleaner, cost-effective alternatives. With a multidisciplinary, vertically integrated platform, Lygos collaborates with partners across the value chain to deliver high-performing, environmentally beneficial solutions for business customers. Founded in 2011, Lygos serves B2B clients by developing and delivering products that combine performance with environmental benefits.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.