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Techno-Economic Analysis: Turning Innovation into Investment-Ready Reality

At Sustech Innovation, we help startups and investors evaluate the technical feasibility and economic viability of new biotechnologies, sustainable materials, and food-tech processes through structured Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA).

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A TEA bridges engineering and economics, providing a clear roadmap from R&D to commercialization.
It’s not just a financial tool — it’s the foundation for data-driven decisions, process optimization, and investor confidence.

🧠 What Is a Techno-Economic Analysis? ​

A Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) combines process engineering and economic modelling to assess whether a technology can be scaled profitably and sustainably.

 

It answers essential questions such as:

 

What will production cost at commercial scale?

Which parameters most affect cost and risk?

How does the process compare to market benchmarks?

What is the minimum selling price for profitability?

 

TEA provides early insight into both the technical and financial trajectory of your innovation, enabling informed decisions before large-scale investments are made.

💡 Why Every Startup Should Do a TEA Early

For startups developing novel bio-based or technology-driven products, conducting a TEA early in development is key to:

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  • Validating feasibility: Align your R&D with realistic commercial goals.

  • Avoiding costly pivots: Identify technical bottlenecks before scaling.

  • Attracting investors: Present credible, transparent unit economics.

  • Optimizing funding strategy: Know your CAPEX/OPEX needs in advance.

 

A TEA ensures your technology is not only technically possible, but also economically viable.

⚙️ Key Benefits of Techno-Economic Analysis

1

Cost Drivers Identification and Reduction

A TEA breaks down key cost components such as raw materials, labor, utilities, and waste management, revealing the main cost drivers and how to reduce them.

2

Process Optimization

By modeling different production scenarios, a TEA identifies the most efficient and scalable process configuration, supporting R&D and engineering design decisions.​

3

Investment and Financial Planning

Includes full financial metrics:
CAPEX, OPEX, cost of production, ROI, and payback time, critical for building robust business cases and investor presentations.​

4

Guiding R&D Efforts

Helps direct experimentation and process development toward parameters with the highest potential to improve unit economics.​

5

Risk Management

​Provides a data-backed understanding of technical and economic risks, helping teams anticipate challenges and make decisions with confidence.

TEA has been successfully applied to various technology-based projects. By providing accurate estimates of production costs, technical viability and financial viability, TEA has helped startups in these areas secure funding, optimize processes, and scale up production effectively.

📊 What You Get in a Sustech Innovation TEA

Each project is delivered as a dynamic, interactive model and report package designed for transparency, adaptability, and collaboration.

Deliverables include:

  • Dynamic Excel model with full mass and cost balances

  • Multi-scenario and sensitivity analysis

  • Feedstock yields and process efficiency analysis

  • CAPEX & OPEX breakdown

  • Cost of production per kilogram

  • Economies of scale projections

  • Equipment list with estimated sizing and cost

  • Manufacturing and utility cost structure

  • Minimum viable selling price (MVSP)

  • Payback time and investment summary

  • Summary report and investor-ready slide deck

  • Zoom handover session for model walkthrough

🌱 Industries We Support

Our TEA methodology is applied across emerging bio-based and sustainable sectors, including:

 

  • Food-tech and alternative proteins

  • Biomaterials and bioplastics

  • Precision fermentation and enzymes

  • Sustainable chemicals and renewable feedstocks

  • Carbon capture and gas fermentation

 

Whether you are optimizing a bioprocess, scaling a pilot plant, or preparing for investment, we tailor each TEA to your technology maturity, data availability, and funding stage.

🚀 Ready to Unlock Your Project’s Full Potential?

Let’s validate your process, model your economics, and prepare your business case for investors.At Sustech Innovation, we combine deep process expertise with flexible, startup-friendly support to help you scale smarter and faster.

​​Gustavo@sustech-innovation.com​

📩 Contact:

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