About Us

who are we

VALORIZEN is a research and innovation center that develops, scales up and commercializes technologies to valorize sustainable materials.

VALORIZEN is the research arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Scaleup Innovations Holdings Limited. It was incorporated in Egypt as a private Limited Liability Company in 2022.

VALORIZEN operates in 3 core areas, including biomass valorization, waste valorization, as well as knowledge valorization.

Biomass Valorization

Converting and refining biomass, including agricultural residues into value-added industrial raw materials.

Waste Valorization

Recycling and upcycling industrial waste, including textiles and fibers into industrial raw materials.

Knowledge Valorization

Transforming the results of research and innovation into sustainable products, processes, and services.

VALORIZEN strategic plan and culture charter.

mission

To create a platform for transforming scientific research into sustainable innovations that valorize material resources, bring economic value, and benefit society towards a greener future.

vision

We envision a world in which valorizing biomass and waste enhances sustainability and improves livelihoods for all.

core values

Diversity
Equity
Inclusion
Collaboration
Innovation
Sustainability

our story

In 2010, VALORIZEN founders met in graduate school while they were doing their PhD at NC State University. They saw how the results of research and innovation in the United States are transformed into sustainable products, processes and services that bring economic value and benefit to the society.
After finishing graduate school, they teamed up and started developing a technology to valorize local agriculture residues in Egypt, that were otherwise treated as waste. Throughout their technology development journey, they struggled with lack of financial support, limited research resources, and on top of that, greed of funding institutions and unfair intellectual property terms.

A match made in heaven, and a pledge to valorize sustainable materials.

In 2019, they met with their fourth founder, who at that time was a PhD student in Brunel University London and was doing his research on biomass valorization. He had strong connections with an enlightened British businessman who shared a common belief in the potential of the sustainable valorization of material resources in the MENA region.

This partnership gave birth to VALORIZEN Research and Innovation Center. The team decided that this platform should also be accessible to fellow scientists and researchers who are going through the same challenges and unable to take their inventions to the market and to provide the necessary technical and business support to help them commercialize their sustainable materials innovations.

goals

VALORIZEN main goals are to develop and commercialize technologies to valorize biomass and waste. Further, to transform them into sustainable materials with significant levels of demand and build a knowledge-based circular bioeconomy out of such underutilized resources.

varolize resources

commercialize technologies

build circular bioeconomies

provide green raw materials

create green jobs

preserve local cultures

meet the founders

Mohamad Midani, PhD
Mohamad Midani, PhD

A true thought leader Dr. Midani brings to Valorizen more than 15 years of research...

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Mohamad Midani, PhD

A true thought leader Dr. Midani brings to Valorizen more than 15 years of research, consulting, and industry experience with expertise in natural fibers and their composites as well as sustainable product development, circular bioeconomy and biorefineries. Dr. Midani has been part of several product commercialization projects and he is a certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP), and an active member of the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA).

Dr. Midani is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the Materials Engineering Department, German University Cairo, and Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University. He is also the managing partner of Intexive consulting, and Secretary General of the International Association of Palm Byproducts (ByPalma Assn).

In 2022, Dr. Midani received the distinguished young alumni award from Wilson College of Textiles NC State University in recognition for his lifelong passion and innovative accomplishments in fiber research. Dr. Midani has his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Ain Shams University (2006), MT in Textiles & Apparel Technology and Management (2012), and Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from the Wilson College of Textiles NC State University (2016).

Learn more about his research at CLICK HERE

Ahmed Hassanin, PhD
Ahmed Hassanin, PhD

An industrial expert Dr. Ahmed Hassanin brings to VALORIZEN more than 20 years of experience...

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Ahmed Hassanin, PhD

An industrial expert Dr. Ahmed Hassanin brings to VALORIZEN more than 20 years of experience in the textiles and composites industry. He has a broad network and works closely with the industry and provides engineering and design reviews, development of new materials and processes, selection of plant and machinery, trial production runs, and training. Dr. Hassanin has been managing several funded research projects in the field of nanofibrous membrane formation and its applications, as well as advanced fiber composite materials. He was part of a research group working on a project funded by NASA in improving the UV resistance of High-performance fibers.

Dr. Hassanin is an Associate Professor of Textile Engineering at Alexandria University, and he is currently on leave and serves as an Associate Professor at the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology. He was also a visiting scholar at international universities including, Technical University of Liberec, Czech Republic and Istanbul Technical University, Turkey.

Dr. Hassanin has his BSc. and MSc. in Textile Engineering from Alexandria University, and Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from the Wilson College of Textiles NC State University.

Learn more about his research at: CLICK HERE

Said Awad, PhD
Said Awad, PhD

Dr. Awad brings to VALORIZEN wealth of experience in investment management...

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Said Awad, PhD

Dr. Awad brings to VALORIZEN wealth of experience in investment management. He is part of the management of several investment funds and serves as a Chief Investment Officer of a UK-based investment company, which operates for several industries, of which he also manages.

Said has been managing and supervising various projects in the UAE and UK and has close relationships with investment networks from both regions. He was trained as a civil engineer, and he is an expert in sustainable construction and building materials.

He studied at Brunel University London, where he graduated with a first-class honor in civil engineering, and he is awaiting to be awarded his PhD degree, which was based on investigating the potential of utilizing agriculture residues for developing sustainable composites for construction applications.

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