In 2018, a simple question sparked an extraordinary journey. While designing prosthetics in a media production classroom, our founder Jeremiah Piper discovered carbon fiber—a revolutionary material stronger than steel yet lighter than aluminum. The only problem? Its prohibitive cost. This led him down an unexpected path that would ultimately reshape how we think about chemical production.

The investigation revealed a hidden challenge in the global supply chain. Carbon fiber's high cost stemmed partly from inefficient production methods, but more importantly, from a critical price and supply instability in its precursor chemicals. The trail led from carbon fiber to acrylonitrile, and from acrylonitrile to propylene—a fundamental chemical facing a growing supply-demand gap that few recognized as a key issue for materials like carbon fiber at the time.

Traditional propylene production methods, unchanged for decades, simply couldn't keep pace with modern demands. Where others saw an insurmountable problem, Jeremiah saw opportunity. That classroom became the birthplace of what would become Renovigo's groundbreaking technology.

Four years of intensive research followed. Every aspect of chemical markets, production processes, and emerging technologies was scrutinized and studied by our founder. For hours he would pour over every article, paper, and book he could find online and in between the shelves of the Troy H. Middleton Library at LSU. The first breakthrough came early in his research through a conversation with Dr. John Pojman, now Chair of LSU's Chemistry Department, who passingly introduced Jeremiah to the concept of "electrochemical reduction"— a cutting-edge process that transforms water, carbon dioxide, and electricity into essential hydrocarbons.

"All it took was reading a short stack papers for me to realize the true potential of this technology — and how it could work alongside what I had already envisioned. It was a eureka moment that, to this day, I still believe was a stroke of luck. This was the future of chemical engineering, and only a handful of people realized it."- Jeremiah Piper

This discovery changed the way he looked at the problem altogether. Here was a way to produce the building blocks of modern chemistry sustainably, using renewable inputs instead of fossil fuels. On October 18, 2021, Renovigo was officially formed in the state of Delaware. The name, meaning "renewal" in Esperanto, reflects our mission: renewing chemical production, renewing our planet, and renewing the globalized industry itself through sustainable innovation built for everyone.

Building Renovigo required assembling exceptional talent who shared this vision. In 2022, David Turner joined as COO, bringing invaluable resources and connections that helped navigate the company through its most challenging phases. Engineer Molly Adams transformed four years of research into practical, proven systems, and in 2025 became our Chief Science Officer.

Together, we've developed technology that promises to transform the acrylonitrile and propylene industries. Our innovative approach addresses the propylene gap while dramatically reducing the environmental footprint of chemical production. This isn't just about making chemicals more efficiently—it's about enabling a future where advanced materials like carbon fiber, nitrile rubber, nylon, and countless other essential products can be produced sustainably and affordably.

At Renovigo, we believe innovation and environmental stewardship aren't mutually exclusive. We're proving that industry can be a force for planetary renewal, that we can move forward technologically while healing the damage of the past. Our vision extends beyond chemical production to a world where sustainable practices enable unprecedented innovation—where that carbon fiber prosthetic arm isn't just possible, but accessible to everyone who needs it.

This is our commitment: to renew the way the world produces chemicals, one molecule at a time.