Michael Knauf

Knauf is a 30-year veteran of the bioindustrial industry, having held executive level positions with leading providers including Genencor and Codexis. His career has been defined by creating, structuring and managing a multi-hundred million dollar partnership, negotiating collaborations, integrating acquisitions, and driving sales of biobased materials.

Knauf led the team that built the bioindustrials unit at Codexis from the ground up, including staffing the business and starting up a major lab in Hungary. He led the development of a number of innovative strategies, technologies, products, and markets for biofuels, biobased chemicals and carbon capture. He and his team secured partnerships with Shell, Alstom, and Alcoa that accounted for annual contract revenue in excess of $70 million.

Knauf played strategic merger and acquisitions business roles in acquiring and integrating several players that bolstered Genencor’s leadership in the global industrial enzyme market.

Knauf holds a B.S. in biochemistry and biophysics and a master’s degree in food science from the University of California, Davis.