Pili unveils strategic hirings for its Operations department

Pili, a pioneering company in the decarbonization of the color industry, continues its dynamic movement of industrialization and formalizes the creation of an Operations department with the recruitment of two skilled industrial chemistry experts:

• Alain Pinchart, ex-CEO of Nove al, a development and manufacturing subsidiary of L’Ore al group, as Director of Operations;
• Yves Combret as Production Manager, previously Director of Strategic Projects at Adionics and R&D Project Manager at SEQENS (formerly PCAS).

Since its inception in 2015, Pili’s mission has been to produce bio-based dyes and pigments to reduce the environmental footprint of the color industry. Thanks to its hybrid processes combining industrial fermentation and green chemistry, the company offers an eco-friendly and
competitive alternative to petrochemical dyes and pigments.

After raising €14.5 million in the first quarter of 2023, which will enable the company to accelerate the scale-up of its processes by producing the first tons of bio-based indigo, Pili welcomes two seasoned professionals to pilot Operations.

This department will be responsible for completing the industrialization of Pili processes and managing the production of Pili’s product portfolio. The project to build a large-scale manufacturing site combining industrial fermentation and organic chemistry will also be carried out by this department.

Alain Pinchart has over 20 years of experience in industrial chemistry. He was previously CEO of Noveal (formerly Chimex), L’Oreal’s industrial subsidiary specializing in green chemistry, developing and manufacturing high-performance ingredients for the cosmetic market. His experience and excellent understanding of the industry challenges will enable him to structure Pili’s operations in order to support the company’s growth on an industrial scale.

“It’s with great enthusiasm and pleasure that I join the Pili team. It’s exciting to be involved in a project aiming to decarbonize the color industry by drawing inspiration from the living to develop innovative manufacturing processes. Making a positive impact on the industry using science and technology is a goal that has driven me for many years. Implementing Pili’s processes on an industrial scale with the highest quality and safety standards is a fantastic challenge. I look forward to working with the team to achieve these ambitions and develop the business” reveals Alain Pinchart.

Yves Combret, formerly R&D Project Manager at SEQENS (PCAS) and Oril Industrie, then Director of Strategic Projects at Adionics (specialized in lithium extraction), will be in charge of optimizing Pili processes to make their industrialization more reliable. His expertise in synthetic chemistry and experience in new processes development will enable PILI to accelerate its scale-up and ensure the manufacturing of several tons of indigo by 2024.

“Developing and industrializing new products and innovative manufacturing processes, combining white biotechnology and green chemistry, is one of my greatest challenges. I’m glad to join Pili’s multi-disciplinary and enthusiastic teams, and to share my industrial experience so that together we can build the chemistry of the 21st century, less dependent on oil and more respectful of the environment“, says Yves Combret.

Pili wants to boost its industrial growth, and is planning to build a production demonstrator over the coming months on the Roches-Roussillon (38) chemical platform managed by GIE Osiris. The company expects to provide its customers with its first tons of indigo in the near future. The appointment of Alain Pinchart and Yves Combret will also enable Pili to launch its project to build a large-scale industrial facility to meet the world’s growing demand for bio-based dyes and pigments.