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Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) for Biotech, Food-Tech & Sustainable Processes
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Scaling Where It Makes Sense: How Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) Guides Plant Location, Scale, and Timing
Every founder scaling a biotech or foodtech process knows the feeling, lying awake at 2 a.m., running scenarios in their head: Where should we build? When will be the right time? And how big before it’s too big? Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) gives you a framework to answer all three, with data, not gut feeling or personal preferences. It translates technical progress into business logic, helping founders make decisions that investors trust. 1️⃣ WHERE — Site & Region Selecti

Gustavo Valente
Oct 215 min read


𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗘𝗔 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝗯 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Scaling up a bioprocess from the laboratory to a pilot plant or from pilot to demo is one of the most exciting and risky stages for any startup. The leap from proof-of-concept to pilot or industrial production brings not only technical challenges but also financial uncertainty. That’s where Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) comes in. At Sustech Innovation , we help biotech, foodtech, and sustainable-materials companies translate their technical data into clear economic insigh

Gustavo Valente
Oct 144 min read


Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) for Biotech & Food-Tech: Beyond Basic Feasibility
When scaling up a biotech or food-tech process, the big question isn’t just “is it feasible?” . It’s “will this process make sense...

Gustavo Valente
Sep 294 min read


Understanding the Importance of TEA in Early-Stage Biotech
(Hint: It’s not just about cost per kg, it’s about stepping back from R&D and seeing the full picture) I’ve heard this many times: “We...

Gustavo Valente
Sep 192 min read


“𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨-𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐓𝐄𝐀) 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐭.”
I hear this a lot from founders: 👉 “Our plan is to use CMOs.” 👉 “We’ll license the tech anyway, so why bother with a facility TEA?”...

Gustavo Valente
Aug 212 min read


"𝐖𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐓𝐄𝐀 𝐲𝐞𝐭, 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬."
I hear this often. And every time, my brain freezes for a second. 🤯 Why? Because 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭...

Gustavo Valente
Aug 131 min read


🔍 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡
Everyone talks about the “Valleys of Death” in biotech — but here’s one few mention: 🚨 Building your business case around the wrong...

Gustavo Valente
Jul 221 min read


A Guide to Preparing for Investment with Techno-Economic Analysis
INTRODUCTION Raising funds for a biotech, foodtech, or synbio startup is no longer just about storytelling; it's about evidence....

Gustavo Valente
Jul 154 min read


𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱?
You’re not alone, and here’s why it doesn’t have to be that way. 👋 If you're an early-stage founder trying to understand your production...

Gustavo Valente
Jul 111 min read


🚀 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨-𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 (TEA)? 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧!
In the journey from laboratory to commercial success, every decision counts. Yet many startups delay doing their TEA, assuming it’s only...

Gustavo Valente
Jun 101 min read


🚨𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐲𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧: 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬! 🚨
The FDA is phasing out Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, and other artificial dyes, by 2026....

Gustavo Valente
May 191 min read


🚀JUST RELEASED: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨-𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 for Precision Biotech & Foodtech Startups!
One concise, 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 to help you decide if you're ready to invest in a Techno-Economic...

Gustavo Valente
Apr 221 min read


𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞. One of my favorite outcomes of a 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨-𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬!
Why? Because it turns a "𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦" 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. In every TEA I run, I model how unit cost drops as...

Gustavo Valente
Mar 261 min read


🔥𝟗 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟗 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 #𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬🔥
After nearly a decade of working with deep-tech and biotech startups, I’ve seen what separates those who scale successfully from those...

Gustavo Valente
Mar 101 min read


🤖 Is a Fully Automated Production Facility Worth the Investment? A Reality Check with TEA
What We Expected vs. What We Discovered Automation is often seen as the golden ticket to efficiency, higher productivity, lower operating...

Gustavo Valente
Feb 202 min read


🤖 Can AI Really Deliver Reliable Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA)? Where It Works & Where Experts Are Essential
Recently, I've seen some companies offering AI-generated TEAs as a cheap and quick alternative to producing TEAs, but fast and cheap...

Gustavo Valente
Feb 133 min read


Building Your Process Block by Block: Why You Should Start a Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA) Before You Even Step Into the Lab
One of the biggest misconceptions I see among early-stage companies is that Technoeconomic Analysis (TEA) is something you do after...

Gustavo Valente
Jan 284 min read


𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 (𝐓𝐄𝐀) 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲?
The short answer? 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. But If your business involves production or scaling up new products or technologies, it’s a total...

Gustavo Valente
Nov 18, 20242 min read


From Concept to Commercialization: How TEA Can Fast-Track Your Product’s Journey to Market 🚀
Bringing a new product from concept to commercialization is a challenging journey for any startup, especially for biotech and food-tech...

Gustavo Valente
Sep 30, 20244 min read


How to Use Techno-economic Analysis (TEA) to Support Cost-Saving Strategies for Startups 💡💰
Founders constantly seek ways to maximise their runway and minimise costs, without sacrificing quality or growth potential. One often...

Gustavo Valente
Sep 22, 20244 min read
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