VIRENT: 2009 TECH PIONEERS
Business Week
Chief Technology Officer: Randy Cortright, 53
Virent has developed technology to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules, yielding diesel, jet fuel, chemicals, and other products normally made from petroleum. The company claims its process is more efficient than traditional biofuel methods, such as ethanol fermentation. Virent has raised more than $30 million from investors and is collaborating with Royal Dutch Shell to produce biogasoline.