BioMADE is a company that is building a sustainable, domestic, and end-to-end bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem to secure America’s future through innovation, education, and collaboration. Pulse 2.0 interviewed BioMADE Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jill Zullo to learn more about the company.
Jill Zullo’s Background
What is Jill Zullo’s background? Zullo said:
“When I took a position as a senior research microbiologist with Cargill after completing my Ph.D. in food technology at Iowa State University, I found myself at the cutting edge of a burgeoning bioindustrial manufacturing industry in the U.S. Now, nearly three decades later, I’ve built my career pioneering the commercialization of biotech, ushering biobased innovations from the lab to the commercial market.”
“Most recently, I served as the Interim President & CEO of NatureWorks, a Cargill joint venture aimed at developing biobased plastics and fibers to replace fossil fuel-based materials. I was also the Global Managing Director of BioIntermediates at Cargill Bioindustrials, where I led the creation of a $350 million facility in Iowa for the production of 1.4 butane-diol, which goes into apparel, coatings, packaging, and more.”
“I really view my current position of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at BioMADE as the culmination of my career. Each day, I get the opportunity to collaborate with incredible bioindustrial manufacturing practitioners from across the country, applying my expertise to support commercial scale production of biotech innovations and spur the growth of renewable markets in the U.S.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Zullo shared:
“With how quickly we’ve grown, it’s hard to believe that BioMADE was launched less than five years ago! The team at the time, headed by our CEO Doug Friedman, recognized a major shortage of pilot- and intermediate-scale infrastructure for bioindustrial manufacturing. The U.S. has been a global leader in biotech for more than 40 years, but we lack facilities to bring these innovations from the lab to commercial scale production. That’s why BioMADE was created. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) catalyzed our organization to drive sustainable bioindustrial manufacturing collaboration nationally and address this scale-up challenge.”
“Bioindustrial manufacturing uses the power of biology and fermentation to produce sustainable alternatives to existing materials and chemicals. While launching BioMADE during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging, these extenuating circumstances and supply chain disruptions really underscored the need for bioindustrial manufacturing. With proper investment, the U.S. can manufacture sustainable products domestically, ending reliance on foreign materials and giving “Made in America” a whole new meaning.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Zullo reflected:
“Attending the BioMADE Member Meeting in my first month and getting to chat with members and government partners while learning about how BioMADE works across the bioindustry was a highlight. I was amazed at the collaborative spirit, depth, and quality of our discussions. It was a fully immersive experience that reaffirmed my commitment to the BioMADE vision.”
“In particular, it was inspiring to hear from BioMADE’s start-up community through a series of lightning talks. These companies are at the forefront of innovation in this industry, and it’s always a thrill to hear about their latest and greatest ideas. I also enjoyed stopping by the BioMADE Marketplace, which featured our members’ biobased products that are already available to the public—including skis made using polyurethane through algae from member Checkerspot and plant-based nylon clothing from member Geno. Getting to see these commercial success stories really emphasized BioMADE’s mission and goals for the bioindustrial manufacturing industry in the U.S.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Zullo explained:
“BioMADE operates in three distinct areas: technology and innovation, education and workforce development, and infrastructure. First and foremost, BioMADE is a member-based organization consisting of nearly 300 companies, startups, nonprofits, academic research institutions, and community colleges. Our members have exclusive access to funding for projects working to develop biotech innovations and bring these products to market through bioindustrial manufacturing.”
“We also partner with academic institutions across the country, from universities and community colleges to trade programs and high schools. Through our education and workforce development programming, we’re building the bioindustrial manufacturing workforce of the future.”
“Lastly, BioMADE is directly addressing the shortage of bioindustrial manufacturing infrastructure in the U.S. by building a national network of pilot- to intermediate-scale facilities. These collaborative sites will meet the shared needs of our members, allowing companies of all sizes to scale up production methods and make commercialization a reality.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Zullo and the team faced in building the company? Zullo acknowledged:
“Determining ways to engage the full value chain of the bioindustrial market has been a challenge. We currently don’t have off-take/commercial partners as members—e.g. consumer product goods companies, chemical companies, etc.—and I believe it is important to have the full value chain represented to allow for successful commercialization of our member technologies. We are now working with several companies on new partnering models to bring them to the table.”
“Numerous BioMADE members have successfully partnered with larger corporations to commercialize their technology. For example, member Geno is working with lululemon on plant-based nylon and with L’Oréal on biobased beauty products. Additionally, member LanzaTech has some incredible products made using waste gases that are already on the market through partnerships with H&M, Adidas, and REI. It’s so exciting to see these products come to market!’”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Zullo cited:
“BioMADE’s infrastructure work has driven many of our recent, exciting milestones. At the 2025 Member Meeting in April, we announced two infrastructure sites in Minnesota and California in our national network of bioindustrial manufacturing facilities; following the shortlisted six states—California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, and North Carolina—for additional facilities in March of last year.”
“Additionally, we’re continuing to push the boundaries of what we can do with biotech at BioMADE. In fall of 2024, we announced $26.9 million in funding across 17 projects all aimed to support U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing innovation and workforce development.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Zullo about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“BioMADE hit the ground running supporting a major success story with one of the first projects we funded. Member General Probiotics developed a biomanufactured live therapeutic that when added to chicken feed, supports the production of healthy, sustainable, and affordable animal protein. This recombinant probiotic product has been shown to prevent bacterial necrotic enteritis in chickens, helping to raise poultry without antibiotics. Following successful field trials, General Probiotics established partnerships with major U.S. poultry producers, which have requested enough probiotic for 650,000 birds.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Zullo assessed:
The U.S. bioeconomy is currently worth $950 billion, representing more than 5% of the U.S. GDP, and growing every day (source). It is estimated that up to 60% of materials in the global consumer product supply chain can be produced using biology (source).
In 2023, the U.S. industrial bioeconomy supported nearly 644,000 domestic jobs, driving $49 billion in wages (source). This economic boost will only continue to grow, with the bioeconomy expected to see one million additional jobs added to the U.S. economy by 2030 (source).
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its peers? Zullo affirmed:
“BioMADE is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) under the Manufacturing USA umbrella. This national network of manufacturing institutes was created to encourage collaboration among industry players and catalyze advanced manufacturing in the U.S.”
“Each MII has a specific technological focus. As the Bioindustrial Manufacturing and Design Ecosystem, BioMADE specializes in nonmedical bioindustrial manufacturing. The benefits of bioindustrial manufacturing are truly limitless. At BioMADE, we see a future for U.S. manufacturing that is biobased and leverages our country’s deep agricultural roots. By using feedstocks grown by American farmers, like corn and soybeans, as a power source to create sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products, we can create well-paying jobs that will stand the test of time.”
“These benefits also include enhanced national security and supply chain resilience, rural economic development, new markets for U.S. farmers, and increased access to environmentally sustainable products with less reliance on petrochemicals.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the future company goals? Zullo emphasized:
“We will continue to build pilot facilities across a number of states in the coming years. BioMADE reached the major milestone of 300 members in March 2025. We will continue to work closely with industry members, elected officials, and local organizations within each state to develop the piloting capabilities that are desired in that region.”
“We will also continue to drive educational workforce development throughout the U.S. With the bioindustrial manufacturing industry poised for such extensive growth in the coming years, we need to train workers to fill these new jobs. We coordinate with successful programs already in place and support burgeoning efforts to scale smaller programs showing great promise. We plan to reimagine how hardworking individuals can obtain the necessary industry-driven competencies, filling in opportunity gaps and paving the way for an educational pipeline that ensures access to the well-paying, advanced manufacturing careers of the future.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Zullo concluded:
“We are proud to work with the U.S. Department of Defense, underscoring the importance of bioindustrial manufacturing as a national security priority. Bioindustrial manufacturing can be used to create chemicals, solvents, reagents, plastics, electronic films, fabrics, polymers, food additives, and more that support our military in protecting our national interests. BioMADE is dedicated to the development of domestic supply chains that can end reliance on foreign materials and produce items on U.S. soil from agricultural feedstocks (grown by our farmers) that people use every day. It’s clear that a strong future for the U.S. on a global scale is intricately intertwined with our work at BioMADE promoting biotech and bioindustrial manufacturing.”
