Executive Summary

Building on numerous successful pilot runs at their Alameda site, Pow.Bio partnered with ATV Technologies in Compiègne, France to further scale Pow.Bio’s proprietary ML-enabled  continuous platform to 3,000 L. 

The overseas deployment demonstrated that Pow.Bio’s platform can be easily integrated within  external sites, such as contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs), unlocking cost effective biomanufacturing at ever-increasing scales. 

The project achieved a seamless tech transfer and rapid deployment - tripling productivity and  establishing a new standard for bioprocess productivity and unit economics, while incorporating model predictive control for rapid success and process iteration applied to manufacturing conditions.

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Project Background 

Transferring a complex bioprocess to a contract manufacturing partner comes with known and unknown challenges at each transfer point. Scaling processes at the same time adds further risk. 

Pow.Bio set out to match or exceed performance established at 300L in a new operational environment and at 10x fermentation volume.

The product, a high-value dairy protein, was uneconomical at expected manufacturing levels using fed-batch fermentation, creating an ideal test case for continuous processing. The company successfully demonstrated converting production of the protein to continuous fermentation at 300L scale, and set out to extend this success.

External validation and cost competitiveness at scale - proof that the platform can successfully run outside of Pow.Bio facilities - were critical to securing client and industry trust.

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Objectives

The project aimed to:

• Demonstrate robust technology transfer to a new CMO environment
• Enable a CapEx-light adaptation of existing manufacturing facility
• Replicate 3x productivity improvement at larger scales
• Validate scalability of Pow’s platform at 3,000 L
• Complete tech transfer and scale-up rapidly - within 10 weeks
  
  

The project also demonstrated that ML-powered predictive modelling could enable rapid site conversion and troubleshoot common scale-up challenges. 

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Execution Timeline

Facility Integration

Pow.Bio and ATV prioritized a pragmatic facility adaptation strategy to minimize the CapEx typically required for site conversions. Through targeted equipment modifications and the reuse of existing infrastructure (e.g., bioreactors, pumps, and filtration devices), the teams successfully deployed Pow.Bio’s continuous platform. The conversion was completed without purchasing additional bioreactors and with minimal facility downtime.

Key configurations:

• Installed cell recycling system - Tangential flow filtration (TFF) skid 
• Adjusted media composition for continuous operation
• Repurposed existing tanks for seed, feed, and harvest
• Completed conversion without additional bioreactors or facility downtime

Result: Minimal CAPEX translated delivered significantly more material - immediately expanding the functional capacity onsite.

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Software Deployment: Cassie in Action

Cassie, Pow.Bio’s model-predictive controller, generated a digital model to guide every step of the tech transfer and scale-up process best fit for ATV’s site requirements. The software’s adaptive learning allowed for testing of different scenarios in simulation, pinpointing the most productive operating window for the 3,000 L setup. This confirmed Cassie’s role as a scalable digital twin and real-time optimization engine for biomanufacturing. 

More specifically, the software was deployed to:

• Optimize feed rate setpoints and determine TFF operating conditions
• Oversee the inoculation and production run over 300 hours
• Monitor for sterility breaches
• Identify where productivity is highest in live conditions
• Solve for process deviations
  
  • Eg. Cassie dynamically adjusted feed and permeation rates to compensate for higher than anticipated evaporation and lower OTR parameters.

Software Performance Data 

Scaling up introduces new challenges as processes must adapt to the dynamics of a larger bioreactor. To derisk this transition, we used Cassie to re-optimize feed rates within the new bioreactor’s constraints. Cassie further enabled us to predict the permeation rate required to maintain our target biomass density under these updated feed conditions and multiple additive changes to the process.  We operated at these rates over the next 10 days and successfully maintained the target biomass density.

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Key Results

The successful scale-up at ATV’s facility marked a critical milestone for Pow.Bio’s continuous fermentation technology. Across 300 hours of production, Pow.Bio’s system delivered exceptional reproducibility and adaptability, meeting or exceeding all predefined technical and economic targets. The project provided robust, third-party validation of the platform’s capacity to enhance productivity while substantially lowering both capital and operating costs.

Highlights:

• ML-driven optimization automatically handled live process deviations
• Continuous operation achieved consistent yields and reproducible results
• Minimal new hardware and rapid installation confirmed transferability

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Testimonial

"Working with Pow.Bio challenged us to rethink what’s possible in the fermentation process. By combining continuous processing with intelligent ML optimization, we achieved results that far exceeded our expectations. We’re proud to help prove this technology’s potential to scale and reshape the industry."

^{-Karima Zitouni, General Manager at ATV Technologies}

Summary & Conclusion

The successful scale-up at ATV’s facility represents a transformative breakthrough for Pow.Bio’s continuous fermentation platform. Over an extended 300-hour production campaign, the technology consistently delivered high-value, industrially relevant protein with remarkable stability and reproducibility. This milestone showcases how Pow.Bio’s innovative software and system design translate directly into significant productivity gains and cost savings - validating it as a commercially viable and practical solution for next-generation biomanufacturing. The project sets a strong foundation for accelerating scale-up efforts, expanding commercial deployments, and redefining industry standards for efficiency and economic impact.

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Next Steps

Pow.Bio is now focused on scaling Cassie-enabled continuous bioprocessing across further projects and larger capacities - targeting 5-15m³ scale with additional partners. 

For ATV, this proof equips them to offer highly competitive, ML-optimized continuous fermentation to their clients, supporting more efficient, rapid product launches.

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Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your biomanufacturing process?

Contact Pow.Bio at scale@pow.bio to learn how our continuous bioprocessing solutions can help you achieve higher productivity, lower costs, and scalable success.

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Acknowledgment

Pow.Bio would like to acknowledge Bühler Group for their collaboration and support on this project. Bühler’s technical expertise, equipment integration, and shared commitment to advancing sustainable biomanufacturing were instrumental in achieving the outcomes described in this case study. Their partnership exemplifies how cross-industry collaboration can accelerate innovation and scale within the precision fermentation ecosystem.

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