Renewable Energy Group acquires LS9, subject to meeting milestones; what a difference one year makes!

Patents played a role in the acquisition. As noted by Daily Finance:



An impressive patent portfolio protects its {LS9's] single-step fermentation process and engineered microbes, which create immiscible products that naturally separate from the fermentation broth and make for an easy, high-yield recovery.


AND



While few outsiders know the exact financial position of the company, it seems difficult to believe that a (potential) $61.5 million exit was what Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures or other private investors had in mind. Exiting now may not prove to be a bad deal in the long run, especially considering that there is still a long way to go developing the platform and commercializing products. However, successful commercialization could pay tremendous dividends for a company willing and able to finance development. REG could be just that company.



LINK: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/01/23/can-renewable-energy-group-inc-succeed-in-syntheti/


Note the rather coincidental timing of this announcement. Exactly one year ago, on 23 Jan 2013, Biofuels Digest announced
"hail and farewell" to LS9:


[from Gigaom: An LS9 spokesperson, as well as company investors, told me on Wednesday [Jan. 23] that the company is not shutting down. An article in Biofuels Digest on Wednesday reported that LS9 has been struggling, would soon see its staff disperse and could shut down. That article has now been changed to reflect the switch in leadership and de-emphasize the previous assertion that it could shut down. ]


[If nothing else, the LS9 story reflects the "here today, gone tomorrow" nature of posts on the internet.]

Separately, previous IPBiz post: http://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2012/02/scale-up-issues-in-biofuels.html