Enzyan

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Company Vision & Mission

Having been working with enzymes for a number of years, we are fascinated by the unparalleled efficiency and elegance with which molecules are assembled in living cells. Likewise, we are excited about the potential of biocatalysts to enable new-to-nature reactivity. Bringing this cellular efficiency and non-natural activity to chemical manufacturing is where we see the future and ourselves in the middle of it.

 

We strongly believe that biocatalysis is a technology that has the potential to broadly transform the chemical industry for the better. Our vision is a future in which we are able to sustainably and efficiently manufacture a broad variety of different compounds for various applications with the help of enzymes.
Our mission is to decrease the barrier for manufacturers to access this technology and help them unlock new biocatalytic processes for chemical production.

Values

Scientific Integrity

“We uphold the highest standards of scientific rigor and ethical research.”

Why: In a field where precision and reproducibility are vital, trust in data and methods is foundational.

Sustainability by Design

“We design every process with sustainability and environmental impact in mind.”

Why: Biocatalysis is inherently green chemistry. This value reinforces that ethos as a core mission.

Collaboration over Competition

“We believe breakthroughs happen when minds connect across disciplines.”

Why: Cross-functional collaboration between chemists, biologists, and engineers is crucial

Agile Problem Solving

“We approach every project with flexibility, adapting our methods to meet evolving challenges and client needs.”

Why: Emphasizes responsiveness, customization, and problem-solving in a dynamic research environment.

Transparency and Trust

“We build trust through clear communication, honesty, and openness.”

Why: Essential for building lasting relationships with partners, customers, and investors.

Our Team

Stefan Payer

Stefan co-founded Enzyan in 2022. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry specializing in biocatalysis from the University of Graz and was a FWF Schrödinger Postdoc at UC Berkeley working on bio-inspired natural product synthesis.

Mattia Lazzarotto

Mattia co-founded Enzyan in 2022. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry specializing in biocatalysis from the University of Graz focused on the chemoenzymatic synthesis of natural products.

Mathias Pickl-Farnberger

Mathias co-founded Enzyan in 2022. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry specializing in biocatalysis from the University of Graz with a Research Stay at the University of Groningen. He was a FWF Schrödinger Fellow at the CSIC-ICAQ in Barcelona.

Stefan Steinberger

Stefan joined Enzyan at the end of 2022 and became a late co-founder in 2024. He co-founded “everyone codes” and was recognised in the Forbes 30 under 30 list. At Enzyan, he is responsible for business development and sales, as well as HR, fundraising and finance.

Stefan Simic

Stefan joined Enzyan in March 2024. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry specializing in biocatalysis from the University of Graz, focusing on photobiocatalysis in batch and flow.

Bianca Hilweg

Bianca joined Enzyan in June 2024 as a Master student. She did her Master Thesis at the University of Graz in collaboration with Enzyan, focussing on biocatalytic cascade design and optimization. After that, she re-joined Enzyan as a scientist.

Wolfgang Kroutil

Wolfgang co-founded Enzyan. He is professor at the University of Graz for biocatalysis since 2013. After his PhD (TU Graz/Exter-UK) he worked at Novartis/Basel-CH and Krems Chemie before he started his academic career. He did several academic stays in York/UK, UCLA/USA, Stuttgart/DE and Cambridge/UK. ORCID: 0000-0002-2151-6394.

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The meaning behind "Enzyan"

The name “Enzyan” is a combination of the words “Enzyme” and “Enzian” – the German name of a characteristic blue alpine flower. Likewise, our logo was designed to recreate the shape and color of this iconic plant with elements that resemble molecular structures. As such, the name Enzyan should symbolize the company’s origin from the heart of the Austrian Alps as well as our commitment to contribute to a greener future of chemical manufacturing with enzymes.