Holiferm

About us

Founded in 2018 as a spinout from the University of Manchester, Holiferm uses patented fermentation and gravity separation technology to convert renewable raw materials into cost-effective biochemicals for applications ranging from household and personal care to agriculture, pet care and paints. Building on co-founder Ben Dolman’s PhD research with James Winterburn, the company has rapidly grown from lab bench to full-scale manufacturing, raising £18.5 million in Series B funding in 2023 to expand its Wallasey plant to 1.65KTA capacity, scale international sales, and prepare for new facilities worldwide. With a commercial plant and pilot facility on the Wirral and an R&D lab in Manchester, Holiferm is disrupting the petrochemical market by offering sustainable, capital-efficient alternatives such as sophorolipids, HoneySurf, HoliSurf, AgriSurf and the newly launched GranuSurf. Guided by a collaborative ethos, Holiferm also provides partners with free formulation support, advice and testing through its Customer Service Team.