Biosurfactants Market

The global Biosurfactants Market is valued at USD 4.65 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach a value of USD 8.59 Billion by 2035 at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 5.75% between 2025 and 2035.

Key Highlights of Biosurfactants Market

• Europe accounted for the largest growth, with a revenue share of 47% in 2024,
• The North American region is a rapidly growing region with a significant bio-based surfactant market,
• The Glycolipids segment accounted for the most enormous market growth in 2024
• Based on the Application, the Detergents segment accounted for the most noteworthy market growth in 2024,
• The COVID-19 crisis has positively influenced the Biosurfactants market, creating new opportunities for utilization. The inherent versatility of Biosurfactants opened up avenues in various COVID-related applications, including personal and home care products such as disinfectants, handwashes, and cleaning supplies.

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Biosurfactants Market: Regional Overview

Europe dominated the global market with a 44.7% share in 2024. In 2024, the European Biosurfactants market witnessed significant growth due to growing environmental concerns and the shift towards sustainable, bio-based products. Biosurfactants have extensive applications in the food, agriculture, and cosmetics industries. The region’s stringent regulations favoring eco-friendly solutions further drive market expansion. Increased research and development efforts contribute to innovative product formulations, fostering market competitiveness. With the increased awareness of environmental sustainability, the European Biosurfactants market is poised for continued expansion in the coming years among consumers about the health risks associated with chemical surfactants. Additionally, the stringent regulatory framework in Europe promotes the use of bio-based products over conventional petroleum-based ones.

Following closely, North America ranked as the second-largest consumer of biosurfactants, accounting for over a quarter of the global consumption. The demand for surfactants in the personal care industry is anticipated to drive growth in this region.Although Asia Pacific held a relatively smaller market share, it is poised to witness significant expansion in the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the burgeoning application industries in the region. Countries like India and China boast well-established textile, agricultural, and personal care sectors, fostering an increased demand for biosurfactants over the next six years.

The global Biosurfactants market can be categorized as Type, Application, and Region.

Biosurfactants Market: Type Overview

The market is categorized into lipopeptides, glycolipids, polymeric, phospholipids, and other types. Trehalolipids, rhamnolipids, and sophorolipids within the glycolipids segment dominate the biosurfactants market share with over 38.4% in 2024, driven by high demand, especially in the cosmetic and personal care industries. Lipopeptides are anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment, while the phospholipids segment is expected to experience notable growth due to increased demand in the personal care sector.

The glycolipids segment in the global Biosurfactants market is experiencing robust growth due to their biodegradability and diverse applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food industries. For instance, key players are actively investing in glycolipid research, capitalizing on the increasing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly surfactant solutions. Furthermore, the rhamnolipids, a type of glycolipids, exhibit high demand for applications in bioremediation and enhanced oil recovery.

Biosurfactants Market: Application Overview

The detergents segment dominates the market with 52.6% share in 2024. By Application, the market is divided into applications such as industrial and institutional cleaners, household cleaners, oil & petroleum, food processing, personal care, agrochemicals, and others. In 2024, detergent segment was followed by the personal care sector. The growing usage of these cleaners in personal care and hygiene products is expected to drive segment growth. The growth of Biosurfactants market is attributed to consumers seeking environmentally friendly alternatives. Biosurfactants, derived from renewable sources, offer biodegradable solutions for detergents. This trend reflects a global shift towards sustainable cleaning products, driven by increased awareness of environmental impact and a preference for eco-conscious choices.

Key Trends

1. The Biosurfactants industry is experiencing substantial expansion propelled by increasing demand across diverse sectors such as soaps & detergents, personal care, and industrial cleaning. The adaptability of Biosurfactants, combined with their environmentally friendly and easily degradable characteristics, establishes them as preferred substitutes for synthetic surfactants. This pattern is expected to persist as consumers progressively favor eco-friendly options in personal care and beauty products.
2. The Biosurfactants sector worldwide is poised to gain advantages from consumers’ elevated per-capita spending capacity and increasing inclination towards incorporating bio-based ingredients in product compositions. With a rising awareness of the environmental repercussions associated with conventional ingredients, consumers are actively pursuing products that embrace sustainable and bio-based alternatives. This change in consumer choices is expected to stimulate the integration of Biosurfactants across a diverse array of consumer goods.
3. The rhamnolipids Biosurfactants market is poised for substantial growth, driven by their applications in pharmaceuticals and therapeutics. The low toxicity and inhibitory properties against human cancer cell lines make rhamnolipids particularly attractive in these industries.
4. The cosmetic industry is witnessing increased use of rhamnolipids due to their enhanced solubility and foaming capabilities. This trend is expected to contribute significantly to the overall revenue of the Biosurfactants market.

Premium Insights

Surfactants, characterized by their amphiphilic nature with hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, play a pivotal role in various industrial applications. The emergence of a new generation of eco-friendly surfactants, known as Biosurfactants, has marked a significant shift in the landscape of surfactant technology. Biosurfactants offer distinct advantages, such as high biodegradability, low toxicity, renewable sourcing, functionality under extreme conditions, and long-term physicochemical stability. The environmental benefits of Biosurfactants have propelled their use in bioremediation. Their application in the degradation of hydrocarbons in contaminated water and soil showcases a promising avenue for sustainable environmental solutions. Biosurfactants exhibit promising potential as drug delivery systems. Additionally, biosurfactant assemblies display antimicrobial properties, broadening their applicability in pharmaceuticals. Biosurfactants, especially those derived from bacteria, demonstrate antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties. This makes them attractive for therapeutic and biomedical applications. In addition, Biosurfactants find applications in diverse industries, including food, agriculture, cosmetics, and biotechnology. These compounds’ biodegradability and low toxicity make them preferable in biotechnological processes.

Economic Insights

Synthetic surfactants are notably more affordable compared to Biosurfactants. The elevated production costs primarily stem from the fermentation and product purification stages. The recovery and purification of rhamnolipids remain challenging on an industrial scale, needing a downstream technique that is both cost-effective and compelling. In the production of Biosurfactants, approximately 70–80% of total production costs are attributed to downstream processing. The economic challenges in manufacturing pose a substantial obstacle to the commercial viability of Biosurfactants.

Competitive Landscape

Innovations and a global push for environmentally friendly solutions contribute to a dynamic and competitive market landscape. In addition, many companies have engaged in collaborations and partnerships to leverage each other’s strengths in biosurfactant research and development. For instance, via two separate partnerships, BASF is enhancing its presence in the Biosurfactants sector for Personal Care, Home Care, and Industrial formulations. The company has entered into two distinct partnership agreements to bolster its global leadership in the bio-based surfactants and actives market. The collaboration with ACS involves an equity investment, making BASF the primary shareholder. Additionally, this partnership encompasses an exclusive technology collaboration, a commercial agreement, and joint efforts in product development focused on sophorolipids - a specific class of glycolipids. This strategic move is geared towards meeting the growing demand from consumers for sustainable, natural, and biodegradable ingredients and actives.

The key players in the global Biosurfactants market include - Evonik Industries AG (Germany) among others.

Recent Market Developments

• In Jan 2023, Holiferm Limited and Sasol Chemicals, a division of Sasol Ltd., revealed a partnership to manufacture and market rhamnolipids and mannosyl erythritol lipids (MELs). This collaboration, initially declared in March 2022, broadens the alliance between the two entities for developing and commercializing another biosurfactant product, sophorolipids.
• In June 2022, Solvay unveiled Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60, innovative Biosurfactants designed to create eco-friendly and circular beauty care items. These high-performance Biosurfactants, produced through a cost-effective fermentation process, offer a sustainable option for beauty care. Mirasoft® SL L60 and Mirasoft® SL A60 are entirely derived from biological sources, biodegradable, and cater to various hair and skin care applications.
• In Jan 2022, Evonik Industries AG constructed the world’s first industrial-scale production facility for rhamnolipids, committing a substantial investment in the three-digit million-euro range. This new plant will manufacture bio-based rhamnolipids that are entirely biodegradable.