Symbio Bioculinary has launched a commercial pilot at Companion Bakery in St. Louis, deploying its on-site waste-processing system to convert excess dough and off-spec bread into usable sugar — its first paid installation in a working food production facility.
Elliott Notrica, Symbio Bioculinary CEO
“More than anything, it’s proof of the on-site upcycling concept, and then we’re hoping to deploy similar systems in this sector as well,” founder and CEO Elliott Notrica told bizblip.
The pilot system processes roughly 2,000 liters of excess dough daily, converting it into sugar in about six hours — enough to replace approximately half of Companion’s conventional sugar purchases. Companion had optimized its operations as far as it could but still faced unavoidable food waste losses, making it an early adopter for Notrica’s approach.
Bloomington, Illinois-based Symbio Bioculinary, founded in April 2024, builds automated, on-site processing systems that help large food manufacturers convert production waste into commodity food ingredients such as sugars and antioxidants — turning what had been a guaranteed loss into a revenue source. The company has two full-time employees, with initial focus on the commercial bakery sector.
Symbio Bioculinary has been funded through a combination of a grant awarded in mid-2024 and a $270,000 angel round completed in April 2025.
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