The Biotech Booster team spoke with Allison Wolder, co-founder of Tulip Enzyme Solutions, a Biotech Booster project that joined the program in September 2025. In this article, Allison reflects on the team’s journey so far, how the Biotech Booster program has helped them sharpen their focus, and the key lessons they have learned along the way.
Allison used to work in sales but decided she wanted to move into something more technical. She loves what she does now and wants to keep working in this field. What excites her about Tulip Enzyme Solutions is the potential of the technology: it could be almost anything — a simple solution to a problem that people don’t have on their radar yet.
Making enzymes work smarter
Many molecules are still produced through conventional chemical processes that rely on large-scale plants and metal-based catalysts. Enzymes offer a more sustainable alternative, performing chemical reactions under milder conditions and with high selectivity. But using enzymes for fine chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and fragrances is not a new idea, and one major challenge remains: many enzyme reactions require cofactors that can be expensive, unstable, and difficult to recycle.
This is where Tulip Enzyme Solutions aims to make a difference. Rather than replacing conventional chemistry with enzymes alone, the team is developing a technology that combines enzymes with synthetic cofactor mimics that are more stable and can be recycled during the reaction.
Their first product will combine a cofactor mimic with a recycling system, which they hope to validate by producing menthol. “The main impact we want to have is purer products, lower cost, greater cofactor stability, and less waste,” Allison explains.
From big dreams to one clear goal
Allison and the team have big dreams. Going global with the technology remains the ambition, but they have realized that the first step is to focus on one area and one goal.
That means balancing time in the lab with conversations with industry. For Allison, this has been one of the biggest learning curves while being in the Biotech Booster program.
“It’s been challenging, in the sense that you have an idea of what you need to do, and then the reality is maybe 180 degrees different than what you’re doing.”
At first, she imagined a fairly straightforward path: develop the product, have it ready, show it to people, have them love it as much as the team does, and then sell it.
“But throughout the Biotech Booster program, we realized we need to step back, leave the lab for a moment, and check: is what we think true? Are our assumptions correct?”
Once the priority is clear, the process becomes much easier. Allison has also learned how important it is to ask the right questions — without giving away the technology — so they can understand what the end user actually needs.
Being comfortable in the uncomfortable
Associate professor Caroline Paul, Allison’s co-founder, has been a pioneer in the field for over ten years and has established herself as a leading expert in the technology. They knew each other well before starting the project: Allison was first Caroline’s master’s student, then her PhD student, and later a postdoc.
Together, they make a strong team. Caroline brings strategic expertise and an extensive network to the project, giving Allison greater clarity and confidence in what they are building.
At the same time, Allison is comfortable navigating uncertainty and often chooses the less obvious path. Now, she finds herself back at university, choosing to retrain at 44, after working in a different field for 20 years.
“But I’m enjoying the learning curve. There is so much to discover, and I’m learning something new almost every day.”
Why Tulip?
The name Tulip Enzyme Solutions is a deliberate choice. The team wants to show that they are proud to be a Dutch company. And, as Allison puts it, the tulip is beautiful, and they want to build a beautiful product.
It is a fitting symbol of what they stand for: meaningful collaborations and contributing to a better world.
What Allison loves most about the innovation is its potential.
“It’s so elegant and efficient. And I think there’s a lot of potential if people can look that far. That’s what I love about it; the possibilities are huge.”
The science behind it is what makes that potential possible. Nature already has molecules that move electrons in cycles, but Tulip Enzyme Solutions can make hundreds of different versions of these molecules.
Climbing the mountain
For Allison, the project currently feels like a mountain climb.
“We see movement, the steep climb, and the summit. Before, we didn’t even know how to navigate the mountain. We’re going from ‘I don’t see what we’re doing’ to ‘wow, we are really getting there and on our way.’”
The summit is reaching the point where there is a prototype, a pilot and first sale, where customers recognize the value and the team can sell the technology. Getting there will inevitably involve setbacks. Allison has learned how to deal with them in her own way.
“When there’s a negative setback, I need to have a good night’s sleep. And the next day, roll up my sleeves and tackle it.”
Positive surprises are different.
“I love how new insights can shape our direction. Being able to adapt and pivot when needed is exciting – it’s a eureka moment.”
Getting out of the lab
The Biotech Booster community has also played an important role in changing the way Allison thinks about the project. “The network that we get access to is very valuable.”
At their very first Biotech Booster event, a Project Day in Marienhof Amersfoort, one of the fellow project teams told Allison: “Get out of the lab.”
“They were right.”
If you can figure out who your customer is and what they need, you can always adapt and decide how to develop the technology further. The alternative is staying in the lab and only working on the product, which could ultimately lead to making the wrong product.
“That’s just a waste of time.”, Allison says.
For Tulip Enzyme Solutions, getting out of the lab therefore means listening, talking to the industry, and understanding where their technology can make a real difference.
Looking towards the summit
If we were to speak with Allison again in three years, she aims to have at least five people on board, with customers, products and a technology that is helping the industry. She would also like to work with organizations such as Planet B.io, producing the product and supporting their clients from there, while expanding across Europe.
But for now, the focus is more immediate. Within the Biotech Booster program, the team is developing a business plan and working towards completing their techno-economic plan before May 2027. They are also developing a new website, expected to launch this fall, and are looking for funding and additional expertise for the next steps.
The team also has practical questions: how to set up a pilot, who would be a good partner for it, and who might be interested in producing menthol enzymatically using their solution.
“If you think you could help us, please get in touch.”, Allison says.
Starting a company means constantly stepping into unfamiliar territory. For Allison, that has meant moving from sales into a technical field, returning to university, learning the science behind the technology, and now figuring out what it takes to turn that technology into a business.
There is still a long way to go, but the direction is clear. The next step is to keep learning, keep asking questions, and find the people who can help Tulip Enzyme Solutions turn its technology into something that can make a real difference in the industry.
