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Hexas Biomass
Farm-To-Fiber
“Farm-To-Fiber”
Hexas Biomass is an award-winning biomaterials company focused on the production of regenerative, plant-based raw materials. This materials can replace wood, food crops for fuel, and fossil fuel-based raw materials in multiple applications.
🔗Check them out here: hexas.com
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The Macro
The sustainable materials industry is booming, driven by stricter environmental regulations, growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products, and technological advancements in biomaterials.
The global market for sustainable materials is expected to skyrocket from $333 billion in 2024 to over $1 trillion by 2034, with annual growth exceeding 12%.
Governments worldwide are enforcing policies like the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, which pushes for higher recycling rates and lower emissions. Meanwhile, businesses are seeking cost-effective, sustainable alternatives to traditional materials like wood and fossil fuels.
Hexas is tapping into industries projected to be worth hundreds of billions in the next decade:
Biomaterials: Around $500 billion by 2030
Sustainable construction materials: $500 billion market by 2030
Biodegradable plastics: Around $70 billion by 2030
The Impact
Soo… What is Hexas Biomass and its XanoGrass™?
XanoGrass is a tall grass that can grow in places where other plants struggle. Unlike corn or wheat that need good farmland, XanoGrass grows well on poor-quality or polluted soil. This means it doesn't compete with food crops for land. The grass grows back year after year for 15-20 years, so farmers don't need to replant it every season.
XanoGrass is great for the environment in several ways:
It removes large amounts of carbon from the air - about 13.2 tons per acre each year
It makes poor soil better by adding nutrients naturally
It can clean up polluted soil by removing harmful chemicals
Its roots prevent soil from washing away
It needs very little water and no pesticides to grow
Making Farmers' Lives Better
For farmers, XanoGrass offers a reliable way to make money from poor-quality soil. Each acre produces 25-35 tons of grass per year, which is much more than similar crops. Since the grass grows back on its own for many years, farmers spend less money on yearly planting and care.
Turning Grass into Useful Products
The harvested grass is turned into a material called XanoFiber, which can replace wood and other materials in many products:
When used to make fiberboard (like plywood), XanoFiber costs 20-25% less than using just wood, while being just as strong or stronger.
When made into fuel pellets, XanoFiber produces more energy than wood pellets. It can also be used to make biofuel that's better for the environment than corn-based fuels.
XanoFiber can be also used to make:
Packaging materials
Clothing fabrics
Plastics from plants instead of oil
Paper products
Animal bedding
Why It Matters
Traditional materials like wood and oil-based products cause problems for our planet. Cutting down trees leads to forest loss, while using oil creates pollution. XanoGrass offers a better way by:
Growing quickly on land that isn't being used
Costing less than wood
Helping clean the air by removing carbon
Working in many different products
Not competing with food production
Looking Forward
Hexas is already seeing success in Europe, and the U.S. Department of Energy is testing their products. As more companies look for environmentally friendly materials, XanoGrass could help reduce the number of trees we cut down and decrease our reliance on oil-based products.
The company's smart approach of growing XanoGrass near where it will be used helps keep transportation costs low and reduces pollution from shipping. This shows that making products in an environmentally friendly way can be good for both business and the planet.
In Summary…
Hexas isn’t the only player in the sustainable materials game. It competes with wood, bamboo, hemp, and other biomass sources, but it has key advantages:
✅ Higher Yields – Produces 25-35 dry tons per acre, outperforming competitors like Napier grass (16 tons) and switchgrass (5 tons).
✅ Cost Efficiency – XanoFiber is 20% cheaper than wood, making it an attractive alternative.
✅ Carbon-Negative – Unlike wood pellets, which still contribute to emissions, Hexas biomass captures more carbon than it releases.
✅ Versatility – Used in biofuels, bioplastics, fiberboard, and textiles, expanding its market reach.
Material | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
XanoGrass | Highest yield, carbon-negative, multi-industry applications | Proprietary; limited global adoption |
Corn | Biochar enhances CO₂ capture; abundant feedstock | Competes with food crops; lower structural strength |
Wood | Proven structural reliability; established markets | Slow growth; deforestation concerns |
Hemp | Carbon-negative; versatile applications (construction to biofuels) | Regulatory hurdles; processing costs |
Bamboo | Rapid renewability; high tensile strength | Geographic constraints; durability concerns |
The Business
Business Model
Hexas Biomass operates a vertically integrated Farm-to-Fiber model that transforms proprietary XanoGrass into industrial-grade XanoFiber.
They control the entire supply chain from cultivation on marginal land to processing, working with contracted farmers within 60 miles of manufacturing sites.
Their XanoFiber serves as a sustainable drop-in replacement for wood, food crops, and fossil fuel-based materials across multiple industries including biofuels, packaging, construction, and biochemicals. Through partnerships with energy and manufacturing firms, Hexas maintains reliable off-take agreements.
Their competitive edge comes from cost-efficient production on marginal land, carbon-negative impact (sequestering 13.2 metric tons CO₂/acre/year), and seamless integration with existing manufacturing systems.
Traction and Fundraising
Funding & Grants
$1.15M Phase II SBIR grant from U.S. Department of Energy
$500,000 investment from Comstock Fuels partnership
$1.3M total in non-dilutive funding
Strategic Growth
Selected for Shell GameChanger Accelerator program
Operational pilot sites in multiple locations (Europe, Arkansas, California, Washington)
Expanding with 200-acre site in Hawaii
Key Partnership
Strategic partnership with Comstock Fuels to develop Bioleum Refinery locations
Founder Story
Wendy Owens - Founder and CEO of Hexas Biomass
Wendy Owens, founder and CEO of Hexas Biomass, brings a unique blend of outdoor education, classical studies, advanced materials engineering, and biotechnology expertise to her role.
After working in biotech developing rare disease therapies, she founded Hexas Biomass in 2020. The company emerged from her 2018 discovery of a wild grass species that would become XanoGrass - a fast-growing plant reaching 40 feet in six months.
Under her leadership, Hexas transforms this grass into sustainable alternatives for wood pulp and fossil fuel-based products, serving industries from biofuels, paper and bioplastics.
Jobs
You can contact them at: [email protected]
Our Analysis
While wood and plant materials are limited by forest protection needs and slow growing times, Hexas makes a cheaper option that pulls 13.2 tons of carbon from the air per acre each year.
What makes Hexas special is how they control everything from growing to processing with their Farm-to-Fiber system. They grow their XanoGrass close to where they make it into products and work directly with farmers. This keeps shipping costs down and makes sure they always have materials ready. Because of this setup, their XanoFiber costs 20-25% less than wood, making it a great choice to replace wood boards, plant-based fuels, and natural plastics.
More and more companies are trying to make sustainable materials, including those from bamboo, hemp, and wood substitutes. But Hexas has an advantage because their grass grows much better - giving them 35 dry tons per acre, while other grasses like Napier only give 16 tons and switchgrass just 5 tons. Plus, their grass makes soil healthier and grows without needing chemicals or lots of water, which makes it perfect for growing on a large scale.
Hexas has gotten $1.15M from the U.S. Department of Energy and is working with Comstock Fuels, helping them grow quickly. They're already testing their product in Europe and the U.S., and plan to add 200 acres in Hawaii. As more people want materials that help remove carbon from the air, Hexas is in a great position to become an important company in sustainable materials, offering a profitable and growing alternative to cutting down forests and using oil-based products.
More Resources
An Alternative to Food Based Bio-Fuels (The Impact)
The Grass Is Always Greener When The Trees Still Stand (Series Green)
GrowTECH FEST Podcast (Youtube)
Wendy Owens | 2023 Fellow (Cartier Women’s Initiative)
Hexas: A sustainable solution to the food vs. fuel debate (Sustainability in the air)
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