Biobased materials start-up Checkerspot gets new funding

The Berkeley, California, biobased materials start-up Checkerspot has closed a series B financing round worth $36 million, bringing its total funding to more than $50 million. Checkerspot, one of C&EN’s 10 Start-Ups to Watch in 2018, uses microalgae to generate useful triglycerides such as triolein. Applications for its materials include fabric coatings and polyurethane cores for surfboards. The company works with big names such as W. L. Gore and DIC. “This new funding will allow us to grow our platform and expand our reach,” Scott Franklin, Checkerspot’s cofounder and chief scientific officer, said in announcing the funding.