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 insights, so they can scale with confidence, attract investors, and make better decisions about CAPEX, OPEX, and profitability.

1️⃣ Why TEA Is Essential for Scaling Up

Scaling up isn’t just about “making more.” It’s about understanding what’s technically scalable and what is economically sound. A TEA combines engineering models with financial projections to reveal how each ingredient choice, fermentation time, yield, loss, purification technology, or energy input affects your cost per kilogram and overall viability.

Without it, teams often overspend on pilots, using the "wrong" technology, underestimating utilities, or missing the true cost drivers. With a TEA, you gain a clear, birds-eye view map that connects lab performance with commercial reality.

At Sustech Innovation, we’ve seen TEA shift the conversation from “Can we make it?” to “Can we make it profitably?”

Business team working on scaling strategies

2️⃣ What You Gain from Professional TEA Support

Working with a TEA consultant brings structure, credibility, and clarity. Typical outcomes include:

• Process and Cost Optimization: Identify which steps dominate cost and which improvements truly matter.

  
  

• Accurate CAPEX / OPEX Estimates: Use real-life vendor data and scaling factors for grounded cost modelling.

  
  

• Economic Scenario Mapping: Explore best-case, realistic, and conservative cases for investment planning.

  
  

• Scale-Up Roadmaps: Determine the production capacity where your process becomes competitive.

  
  

• Investor-Ready Material: Present numbers that investors trust, unit economics, margins, payback, and ROI.

  
  

Our role as TEA consultants is to make your data investment-ready and your decisions economically informed.

Consultant providing business scaling advice

3️⃣ How TEA De-Risks Growth

Think of TEA as a strategic lens that turns complex bioprocess data into business logic.

For example, a company producing microbial proteins might use TEA to test whether productivity or raw-material cost is the main driver of price per kilo. Stop spending thousands on R&D trying to replace that "expensive" ingredient and focus on the factors that will really matter at scale. A polymer startup might compare U.S. vs. EU production economics, factoring in labour, energy, and subsidies.

This quantitative approach helps founders and investors move from intuition to evidence, reducing risk and accelerating progress. What is expensive in the laboratory might not matter at an industrial scale; there are other factors that a TEA might uncover, such as waste management costs, logistics, labour, etc.l

Key TEA tools that drive growth include:

• Sensitivity Analysis: Quantifies which parameters most influence cost.

  
  

• Mass & Energy Balances: Reveal energy intensity, waste, and utility demands.

  
  

• Process Scenarios: Compare alternative feedstocks, routes, or different technologies.

  
  

• Financial Forecasting: Simulate profitability at different production scales.

4️⃣ Adapting TEA to Every Stage of Growth

TEA support should evolve with your company. A back-of-the-envelope model is perfect for early validation, even before pilot trials, while detailed OPEX/CAPEX studies are crucial after pilot trials for commercial agreements.

Stage	Typical TEA Focus
Proof of Concept / Feasibility	Rapid cost model based on lab data and literature benchmarks
Lab. / Pilot	Scenario testing and preliminary equipment selection
Series A / Demo Scale	Detailed OPEX & CAPEX model with vendor and engineering company quotes
Commercial / Series B+	Investment-grade TEA with financial indicators

At Sustech Innovation, we call this “scaled TEA support”, the right depth of analysis for the right moment.

Team discussing the scaling-up roadmap

5️⃣ Best Practices for Integrating TEA into Scale-Up

1. Start Early: Build your TEA framework while the process data is still evolving, as it guides R&D priorities.

   
   

2. Validate Assumptions: Use realistic scale factors and vendor input rather than generic multipliers, academic literature or software-generated numbers.

   
   

3. Collaborate with Engineers: Link TEA outputs to process design decisions, not just financial projections.

   
   

4. Track Key Metrics: Monitor cost per kg, gross margin, and payback as process data improves.

   
   

5. Iterate: Treat your TEA as a living document that evolves alongside your process.

   
   

This disciplined approach ensures that each scale-up step builds toward long-term economic sustainability.

6️⃣ TEA as a Bridge Between Innovation and Investment

Investors are increasingly looking for economic realism, not just scientific novelty. A solid TEA tells them your team understands both.

When preparing for funding rounds or strategic expansion, TEA helps you:

• Quantify capital needs and funding milestones

  
  

• Benchmark your costs against market prices and current industry costs

  
  

• Demonstrate scalability and commercial potential

  
  

• Build credibility with potential industrial partners and investors

  
  

For example, a company relocating production to the U.S. can use TEA to evaluate how tariffs, subsidies, and local incentives affect profitability, turning policy uncertainty into

data-driven strategy.

7️⃣ Final Thoughts

Scaling a new technology is a delicate balance between ambition and reality. Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) brings that balance, grounding innovation in numbers that tell a story investors can believe.

At Sustech Innovation, we’ve helped startups across six continents use TEA not only to validate their technology, but to secure funding, design pilots, and plan commercial rollout.

If you’re preparing to scale and need clear economic visibility, TEA is the smartest first step.

📩 Get in touch to explore how a tailored TEA can support your next stage of growth.Visit sustech-innovation.com/technoeconomicanalysis