The agreement strengthens Kao’s future supply chain for its home and personal care products.

SAN DIEGO, March 19, 2025 – Future Origins, a U.S.-based joint venture focused on commercializing sustainable alternatives to key ingredients in cosmetics, personal care items, and cleaning solutions, has announced a multi-year purchase agreement with Kao Corporation for its C12/C14 fatty alcohol, NALO. This is Future Origins’ largest agreement to date for NALO, highlighting the growing need for effective and sustainable ingredients in surfactants used in detergents, soaps, and cosmetics.

According to John Gugel, CEO of Future Origins, companies worldwide are seeking ingredients from more reliable and traceable supply chains, and NALO was developed to address this demand. He added that as a leading global surfactant producer, Kao maintains strict standards for product quality and sustainability, particularly regarding bioalcohols.

NALO is the first high-performing, direct replacement for common ingredients traditionally derived from palm oil. It will be manufactured on a large scale in the United States. Future Origins has initiated an early access program for NALO, offering pre-commercial samples for testing, with plans to provide commercial quantities from its initial manufacturing facility. The agreement with Kao secures the sale of a significant portion of the planned output from this first plant.

Daisuke Hamada, Kao Senior Executive Officer in charge of Chemical Business, stated that Kao is dedicated to sustainable material sourcing, as outlined in its Mid-Term Plan 2027, which envisions “Sustainability as the Only Path.” He noted that Kao has been collaborating with Future Origins to develop NALO as a sustainable alternative to fatty alcohol from palm oil and is preparing to introduce both NALO and its derivatives to the market through its chemical division. This development is crucial for ensuring sufficient materials to maintain quality of life and for protecting palm tree forests to preserve the planet’s environment. Kao will also encourage the use of these materials in consumer products, further solidifying its commitment to sustainable material sourcing through transparent and traceable supply chains.

Future Origins was established by industrial biotechnology firm Geno, along with Unilever, Kao, and L’Oréal, to commercialize and produce large quantities of sustainable ingredients for widely used surfactants in home and personal care products. The company’s product development is progressing as planned, meeting all key milestones, including the completion of its demonstration-scale fermentation program. Several tons of purified product will be available for sampling in the second quarter of 2025.

Dr. Priti Pharkya, SVP of Business Operations at Future Origins, added that the company looks forward to meeting the needs of Kao and the broader market with this low-carbon, deforestation-free material. She emphasized that NALO is not only a high-quality, effective ingredient but will also enable customers to expand their businesses in a more reliable and sustainable manner.

The company is advancing its plans for its first commercial-scale manufacturing plant, with top locations being considered in Midwestern states where it can obtain the necessary feedstocks. This substantial offtake commitment represents a vital step toward the successful execution of these plans.

For more information, visit the Future Origins website at .

SOURCE Future Origins

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