Checkerspot Closes $55 Million Series C to Bring the Bioeconomy to Your Doorstep

Building on the success of its outdoor recreation brand WNDR Alpine, Checkerspot continues to scale to meet demand for high-performance, biobased materials and ingredients in new markets.

ALAMEDA, Calif. & SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#bioeconomy--Checkerspot, Inc., a biotechnology company with an award-winning design and innovation lab, announced the close of a $55 million Series C financing led by ArrowMark Partners, with participation from Cox Enterprises and other new and existing investors. Allen & Company LLC advised Checkerspot on the transaction. The funding accelerates Checkerspot’s development and commercialization of high-performance, biobased alternatives for everyday products.

Checkerspot has previously launched a line of performance outdoor recreation products under its consumer brand, WNDR^® Alpine (Wonder Alpine). WNDR^® Alpine animates and de-risks the adoption of biobased materials – developed with Checkerspot’s technology – that can be used across a wide range of industries. Specifically, WNDR’s backcountry skis and snowboards are made with Checkerspot’s microalgae-derived oils that are formulated into polyurethane foams and cast urethanes, engineered to meet specific performance metrics in a highly demanding category. The company has also developed technology to upcycle waste from ski and snowboard manufacturing, leading to the creation of SpiralMade™ material, a unique composite with a variety of applications in hardgoods fabrication.

The latest proceeds accelerate Checkerspot’s expansion into new and adjacent markets including industrial applications, personal care, and food and nutrition. Reducing global dependence on fossil fuels requires innovation and collaboration; Checkerspot is committed to launching new products and forging commercial partnerships so that consumers can adopt high-performance, biobased materials and ingredients at scale.

About Checkerspot

Checkerspot (Alameda, CA & Salt Lake City, UT) designs materials and ingredients at a molecular level to enable more sustainable, high-performing products. By optimizing microalgae, Checkerspot’s vertically integrated WING™ Platform biomanufactures unique oils that not only reduce dependence on commodity oils and petroleum derivatives, but can improve performance properties in everyday consumer products including hardgoods, textiles, personal care, and food. The award-winning company started by commercializing performance composites engineered into skis and snowboards, which are sold through its brand WNDR^® Alpine. For more information, visit checkerspot.com.

Nina Reyes, Checkerspot, Inc.
nreyes@checkerspot.com