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- Spiber
Spiber Valuation, Funding & Investors
Spiber is valued at $900M as of April 2024.
Last Spiber valuation
$900M
Undisclosed stage · Apr 2024
Last Spiber funding round
$65M
Undisclosed stage · Apr 2024
Cumulative funding Spiber raised
$585M
across 14 funding rounds
Key investors in Spiber
Cool Japan Fund
Archer-Daniels-Midland
Jafco Group
Carlyle Group
Baillie Gifford
Daiichi Life Group
About Spiber
Spiber is a Tokyo-headquartered biotechnology firm founded in September 2007 producing Brewed Protein synthetic fibers via microbial fermentation of plant-based feedstocks. The proteins replace silk, wool, and petroleum plastics in apparel like The North Face Moon Parka and automotive interiors for Nissan. Spiber operates a mass production plant in Rayong, Thailand since 2021 and builds a second facility with ADM in Iowa set for 2023 operations. Partnerships with Itochu and Teijin enable commercialization of Brewed Protein polymers targeting 10,000 tons annual output by mid-decade.
Founded
2007
HQ
Website
Status
Privately held
Customer focus
B2B
Revenue model
Product sales
Valuation
$900M (Apr 2024)
Spiber Valuation
Spiber is currently valued at $900M, based on its undisclosed-stage round in April 2024.
Spiber's valuation has moved from $900M at its Series A in January 2018 to $900M in April 2024, across 4 priced rounds.
Spiber valuation by funding round
| Date | Stage | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | Undisclosed stage | $900M |
| Sep 2021 | Undisclosed stage | $1.2B |
| Mar 2020 | Strategic investment | $933M |
| Jan 2018 | Series A | $900M |
Spiber Funding History
Spiber has raised a total of $585M across 14 funding rounds.
Spiber's first fundraising round was a $8M Series B in April 2013. The most recent completed round was a $65M undisclosed-stage round in April 2024.
Spiber funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2024 | Undisclosed stage | - | $65M | $900M | Spiber Inc., a Japanese biotechnology company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, develops Brewed Protein™ materials using precision fermentation and synthetic biology to produce animal-free, plastic-free structural proteins for fibers, films, resins, and applications in apparel, automotive, food, and other industries. The company aims to advance a circular economy by utilizing agricultural feedstocks and scaling production, with facilities including its first mass production plant in Thailand operational since 2022 and plans for further expansion. A reported Series F round raised $300M led by The Longevity Fund with participation from SPARX Group, Marunobu, and Mitsui & Co., achieving a $900M valuation, with funds allocated to product development, team expansion, and global operations scaling. Around April 12, 2024, close to the queried date, Spiber announced raising over JPY 10 billion (~$65M USD) from existing shareholders and others in an unattributed round to accelerate mass production and global sales of Brewed Protein™ materials. Earlier, in September 2021, Spiber secured a $312M round led by Carlyle at a $1.22B valuation, including investments from Fidelity and Baillie Gifford via new shares and capital infusion, to build a U.S. facility in Iowa and prepare for an IPO. Spiber has raised over $1B across multiple rounds from 25+ investors. |
| Sep 2021 | Undisclosed stage | Carlyle Group (lead); Baillie Gifford; Satake Chemical Machinery; Fidelity International; Yamagata Bank; Tokyo Century; Cool Japan Fund | $222M | $1.2B | Spiber Inc., a biomanufacturing startup based in Yamagata, Japan, develops protein-based materials mimicking spider silk for applications in textiles, apparel, and other industries, aiming for sustainable alternatives to traditional synthetics. On September 8, 2021, Spiber announced a major equity funding round led by Carlyle, with participation from new and existing investors including Cool Japan Fund, Baillie Gifford, Fidelity International, Satake Chemical Machinery, Tokyo Century, and Yamagata Bank. The round involved a capital increase of JPY 24.4 billion through new share issuance at JPY 4,500 per share, resulting in approximately JPY 34.4 billion total funding equivalent to about USD 312 million, bringing post-money valuation to approximately JPY 133 billion with 29,565,875 outstanding shares. Carlyle made its first non-buyout growth investment in Japan, committing significantly to Spiber and joining Cool Japan Fund as cornerstone investors, each appointing a director to the board. The funds are designated to strengthen Spiber's production capabilities and global sales network, leveraging Carlyle's expertise in sustainability, luxury brands, textiles, and materials, as seen in prior investments like Jeanologia, Beautycounter, Moncler, and Golden Goose. Financial advisors were Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley, with legal support from Anderson Mori Tomotsune. This round positions Spiber for accelerated global commercialization and expansion projects, while building investor relationships ahead of a planned IPO in the coming years. Spiber's cumulative funding exceeded $1 billion across multiple rounds by 2024. |
| Sep 2020 | Strategic investment | Archer-Daniels-Midland (lead) | $56M | - | Spiber Inc. is a Japanese biotechnology company founded in 2007, specializing in synthetic biology to produce Brewed Protein™ polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials for apparel and consumer products via structural protein fermentation technology. In late 2020, Spiber closed its largest capital raise of 25 billion JPY (approximately $240M USD at the time) using a value securitization structure arranged by Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, with MUFG Bank as lead initial and credit investor, distinct from traditional equity or debt financing. This round leveraged Spiber's tangible assets like R&D equipment and Thailand production facilities, plus intangible IP, to fund growth including a joint project with Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). The collaboration with ADM, announced in October 2020, focuses on expanding production of Spiber's proteins at a large-scale facility in Clinton, Iowa, using ADM's plant-based dextrose feedstock, fermentation expertise, and supply chain. Prior to this, since 2019, ADM provided technical, engineering, and process support to scale Spiber's technology, leading to this commercial-phase extension. The capital raise primarily supports this U.S. polymer mass production facility, alongside material development and business activities to increase global availability of Brewed Protein™ products. Spiber aims to address sustainability challenges through this expansion. |
| Apr 2020 | Strategic investment | Toyoshima (lead) | $5M | - | Spiber, a Japan-based synthetic biomaterial developer spun out of Keio University, received an undisclosed investment from textile trading company Toyoshima in May 2020 through a joint research agreement. This followed Ebara's $9.5 million investment two months earlier. Spiber produces synthetic silk and other materials using synthetic proteins without spiders or silkworms, targeting the sustainable textiles market. |
| Mar 2020 | Strategic investment | Ebara (lead) | $9M | $933M | Spiber is a Japanese biotechnology company founded in 2007 that develops Brewed Protein materials, including synthetic silk and other proteins produced via microbial fermentation for use in fibers, films, resins, apparel, and automotive industries. The company focuses on animal-free and plastic-free sustainable materials using agricultural feedstocks. In March 2020, industrial machine manufacturer Ebara Corporation invested $9.5 million in Spiber as part of ongoing corporate investments. This followed a joint research agreement with textile trading company Toyoshima in May 2020 and preceded a $44 million round with Cool Japan Fund in 2018. Spiber had raised 35.4 billion yen (over $330 million USD) cumulatively as of October 2020. |
| Dec 2019 | Strategic investment | Archer-Daniels-Midland (lead) | $40M | - | Spiber is a Japanese biotech company founded in 2007, headquartered in Tsuruoka, specializing in brewed protein materials for sustainable alternatives in apparel and consumer products using structural protein fermentation technology. ADM and Spiber's collaboration began in 2019, focusing on technical, engineering, process support, and agricultural supply chain access to scale production of bio-based polymers. The partnership expanded into production of Spiber's Brewed Protein polymers, combining Spiber's fermentation tech with ADM's large-scale expertise for apparel and other uses. Total funding raised by Spiber exceeds $1.068B across 24 rounds as of 2024, with 25 investors. Spiber plans funds from later rounds for product development, team expansion, and global scaling. The company has over 300 employees and continues raising, with a $65.26M unattributed round in April 2024. |
| Nov 2018 | Undisclosed stage | Cool Japan Fund (lead) | $44M | - | Spiber Inc., a biotech startup spun out from Keio University's Institute for Advanced Biosciences in 2007 and headquartered in Yamagata, Japan, develops and produces synthetic proteins based on engineered spider silk DNA, recognized as the toughest biological material studied. The company focuses on creating sustainable materials for applications in fashion, apparel, textiles, and other industries without relying on petroleum. In late 2018, Spiber raised approximately 5 billion JPY (about $44 million USD) in a funding round led by government-backed Cool Japan Fund, which invested 2 billion JPY ($17.6 million USD), with other investors undisclosed. This brought Spiber's total equity funding to over $260 million USD at that time. The 2018 round funds were allocated to transition Spiber from research to commercialization, specifically for constructing its first mass-production plant in Thailand, planned to be 100 times larger than the pilot plant at its Tsuruoka headquarters. Construction was set to begin in mid-2019, targeting commercial protein production by 2021, with annual output expected to reach several million tons depending on protein type. Proteins would be fermented and purified in Thailand before shipping to Japan for textile processing, including yarn and fabric production. Cool Japan Fund aimed to boost global awareness of Japan's advanced material technologies and drive demand in international fashion markets. Cool Japan Fund has continued supporting Spiber post-2018, including a significant follow-on in the 2021 JPY 34.4 billion round (about $312 million USD) led by Carlyle alongside Fidelity International, Baillie Gifford, and others like Tokyo Century and Yamagata Bank, which valued Spiber at approximately JPY 133 billion post-money. That later investment supported scaling production, global expansion, plant development in Thailand (operational by March 2021), and IPO preparations, with Cool Japan Fund and Carlyle joining the board. Spiber has since launched products like the MOON PARKA with Goldwin and pursued joint R&D in areas like hair materials with Aderans. |
| Jun 2018 | Seed | MUFG Bank (lead) | $2M | - | - |
| Jan 2018 | Series A | - | $9M | $900M | - |
| Oct 2017 | Series A | Daiichi Life Group (lead); Toyota Boshoku America (lead) | $14M | - | - |
| Oct 2015 | Series E | Shonai Bank; Shinsei Bank; Jafco Group; KIRAYAKA CONSULTING & PARTNERS; KISCO; Goldwind | $80M | - | - |
| Mar 2015 | Series D | - | $8M | - | - |
| Oct 2014 | Series C | - | $24M | - | - |
| Apr 2013 | Series B | - | $8M | - | - |
Who has invested in Spiber?
19 investors have backed Spiber across its funding rounds, including Cool Japan Fund, Archer-Daniels-Midland, Jafco Group, Carlyle Group, Baillie Gifford and Daiichi Life Group.
Lead investors include Carlyle Group, Archer-Daniels-Midland, Toyoshima, Ebara, Cool Japan Fund and 3 other investors.
Spiber Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lead | Dec 2019 | ||
| 2 | Lead | Nov 2018 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Sep 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Apr 2020 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Sep 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Oct 2017 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Sep 2021 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Oct 2015 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Oct 2017 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Sep 2021 | ||
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialInvestments by Spiber
Spiber has invested in 1 company to date.
Latest investment by Spiber was on October 9th 2018. Spiber invested in Synplogen in their $900K Strategic investment round.
Latest Investments by Spiber
| Description | Synplogen is a Japanese biotech startup commercializing high-throughput DNA synthesis platforms derived from Kobe University technologies. Tokyo-based, the company integrates genetic engineering, robotics, and informatics to produce long DNA fragments at scale for synthetic biology, gene therapy, and genome editing applications. |
| HQ Country | |
| HQ City | Kobe |
| Deal Date | 9 Oct 2018 |
| Round | Strategic investment |
| Raised | $900K |
| Investors | - |
| Valuation | undisclosed |
| EV/Revenue | |
| EV/EBITDA | |
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Spiber investments and their VC round multiples. Start Free Trial | |
Spiber Competitors
Spiber competitors include listed companies like Theravance, Zhejiang Ausun and Rigel Pharmaceuticals, and private ones like Bluepha, Sangon Biotech and Believer Meats.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $1B | - | ||
| Private | $102M | - | $1.4B | 13.7x | ||
| Private | - | - | $900M | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $107M | $68M | $885M | 5.8x | ||
| Publicly listed | $118M | $29M | $941M | 6.5x | ||
| Publicly listed | $294M | $128M | $857M | 2.6x |
Spiber Public Comps
Spiber is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Inventiva, Lepu Biopharma, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Eczacıbaşı İlaç, Avalo Therapeutics, MedinCell, TchaikaPharma, Immix Biopharma, Theravance and Mattr.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $5M | ($369M) | 136.5x | 102.8x | (1.9x) | (4.2x) | |||
| $139M | $56M | 6.9x | 7.1x | 17.0x | - | |||
| $50M | ($48M) | 15.5x | 18.7x | (16.0x) | (12.5x) | |||
| $203M | $76M | 4.6x | - | 12.3x | - | |||
| $59K | ($82M) | 8381.6x | 29416.2x | (6.0x) | - | |||
| $22M | ($28M) | 38.3x | 24.4x | (31.2x) | (85.9x) | |||
| $38M | $6M | 23.9x | - | 163.1x | - | |||
| - | ($30M) | - | - | (22.9x) | (16.5x) | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Spiber competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
Common questions about Spiber
| When was Spiber founded? | Spiber was founded in 2007. |
| Where is Spiber headquartered? | Spiber is headquartered in Tsuruoka, Japan. |
| Is Spiber publicly listed? | No, Spiber is a private, VC-backed company. |
| What is Spiber's valuation? | Spiber was last valued at $900M in its undisclosed-stage round in April 2024. |
| How much funding has Spiber raised? | Spiber has raised $585M across 14 funding rounds. |
| What was Spiber's last funding round? | Spiber's last funding round was a $65M undisclosed-stage round in April 2024. |
| Who are Spiber's investors? | Spiber's investors include Archer-Daniels-Midland, Cool Japan Fund, Baillie Gifford, Shonai Bank, Shinsei Bank, Toyoshima, Satake Chemical Machinery, Jafco Group, Toyota Boshoku America, Fidelity International and 9 others. |
| Which companies are comparable to Spiber? | Companies comparable to Spiber include Bluepha, Sangon Biotech, Believer Meats, Theravance, Zhejiang Ausun and Rigel Pharmaceuticals. |
| How many companies has Spiber invested in? | Spiber has invested in 1 company, including Synplogen. |
| What was Spiber's last investment? | In October 2018, Spiber invested in Synplogen's $900K strategic investment round. |
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