FermBase by CREMER and Differential Bio Enter into Strategic Partnership for AI-Driven Solutions in the Fermentation Industry

Hamburg, October 15, 2026 – FermBase by CREMER and Munich-based biotechnology startup Differential Bio are expanding their existing collaboration into a strategic partnership. The aim is to provide biotech companies with even more comprehensive support in the future: from early-stage development through to industrial scale-up.

“Throughout CREMER’s history, we have grown particularly whenever we were willing to rethink our existing business and identify new opportunities at an early stage. With Differential Bio, we have found a partner that is taking entirely new approaches to raw material development with the help of artificial intelligence and robotics and brings outstanding expertise in this field,” says Dr. Christian Flach, CEO of CREMER.

Together, the two companies are expanding their strategic offering for fermentation companies and creating solutions that go far beyond the provision of raw materials alone. “For us, this partnership is therefore not only another step forward for FermBase, but also an example of how we continuously develop CREMER through innovation and strong partnerships,” says Dr. Christian Flach.

Raw material expertise meets automation & AI

With FermBase, CREMER has brought together its long-standing expertise in raw material sourcing, processing and global logistics to provide raw materials and scalable supply-chain solutions for the fermentation industry. For AI-supported biotechnological product development, FermBase has been working with Differential Bio.

The biotech startup is a spin-off from the environment of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), one of Germany’s Universities of Excellence, and contributes expertise in automated fermentation experiments and data-driven analysis using machine-learning methods.

“With Differential Bio, we are advancing the transition towards bio-based production: our robotic laboratory automation generates targeted data for AI applications, while our software and AI solutions enable data-driven process development,” explains Christian Spier, CEO of Differential Bio. “Together with CREMER, we can develop faster and support the fermentation industry in making processes more efficient and scaling them more successfully.”

Y-Base Blend as the first joint project

For CREMER, the partnership with Differential Bio is part of the long-term development of its business model. In addition to providing access to raw materials and ensuring reliable supply, the company plans to increasingly offer technology- and data-based services in the future.

The development of Y-Base Blend, which FermBase launched in September, demonstrates how the collaboration works in practice. The standardized trace element blend for yeast fermentation was developed jointly with Differential Bio. During product development, more than 50,000 possible trace element combinations were narrowed down to 3,300 experiments using different yeast strains, ultimately resulting in the final blend. Differential Bio contributed its expertise in automation and data-driven process development, while CREMER brought in its know-how across the raw material and supply chain.

Strategic partnership as a basis for further joint solutions

Through the strategic partnership, FermBase and Differential Bio intend to develop further technology-based offerings for the fermentation industry.

FermBase serves as the central point of contact for the fermentation industry, bringing together CREMER Group expertise in raw materials, product solutions and scalable supply chains. Differential Bio complements this offering with automated development processes, data analysis and AI-supported optimization.

About FermBase

FermBase is a CREMER brand specializing in fermentation media and product solutions for the fermentation industry. Its offering includes carbon sources, nitrogen sources, mineral salts, trace elements, tailor-made solutions and standardized blends. FermBase positions itself as a one-stop shop and partner for fermentation companies – from pilot scale through to industrial production.

About Differential Bio

Differential Bio GmbH is a Munich-based AI biotech company that combines highthroughput, automated fermentation experiments with machine learning models to optimize microbial production. Its platform helps industrial biotechnology companies develop media and processes faster, reduce costs, improve yields and product quality, and increase scale-up success.

About CREMER

Founded in 1946 by Peter Cremer, CREMER is a globally active, successful company in trading, logistics and industry and is family-owned in its third generation. With more than 2,600 employees and over 60 companies and shareholdings, CREMER operates worldwide. The company is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.