SusMer, Inc. (short for Sustainable Monomers and Polymers) was founded in 2014 by Professor Dr. Eugene Chen and Dr. Ravikumar Ramegowda to commercialize breakthrough technologies developed at CSU’s Center for Sustainable Monomers and Polymers. Initially, SusMer focused on infinitely recyclable bioplastics—a project backed by Phase I and II STTR funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. However, we have since pivoted to our proprietary P4HB chemical manufacturing process, which offers significant advantages over existing microbial methods.
The implantable medical device (IMD) industry is increasingly shifting toward bioabsorbable materials like P4HB, which outperform polypropylene and PLGA in terms of controlled degradation rates, mechanical strength, and overall patient outcomes. Our proprietary chemical process provides key sustainable competitive advantages over the microbial-based P4HB production owned by Becton, Dickinson, and Co., positioning SusMer as a disruptive force in this market.
Over the next 1-2 years, we will focus on material development, small-scale manufacturing, and customer qualifications, collaborating with leading global medical and surgical device companies to bring our innovation to market.
Meet The Team
Dr. Ravikumar Ramegowda
Co-Founder & President
Dr. Ravikumar Ramegowda Co-Founded SusMer in 2014 with Dr. Chen. Prior to joining Eugene’s research group in 2012, Dr. Ravikumar Ramegowda(Gowda) attended the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, for his Ph.D. in Chemistry. His experience working on various monomers, catalysts, and polymers in the infinitely recyclable bioplastics realm with a focus on catalytic biomass conversion to sustainable monomers & polymers has been invaluable to SusMer.
Dr. Eugene Chen
Co-Founder & CTO
Dr. Eugene Chen Co-Founded SusMer in 2014 with Gowda. Dr. Chen is a Colorado State University Distinguished Professor, who is world-renowned for his ability to prove new chemistry capabilities. More on Eugene’s research group can be found here.
Jake Larger
COO and CFO
Jake is helping SusMer reduce risk in the business model with a mission to successfully fund the commercialization of one or more SusMer proprietary technologies. Prior to joining SusMer, Jake studied Accounting and Entrepreneurship at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business and is now getting his MBA from CU Boulder. His main focus is gaining traction with CMO/CDMOs and medical/surgical device companies by helping them realize the value of SusMer’s chemistry.
Robert Johns
Business Executive Advisor
Robert is helping SusMer with company strategy and vision. Prior to founding Summit Growth Solutions, LLC, he was the Global Director of New Business Programs, Advanced Technologies Business at Dow Corning. His expertise in segmenting markets and strategic selling has been very valuable to SusMer.
Our Mission
To accelerate the world’s transition towards more sustainable material solutions through various chemical processes.