Anand Raja Joins Kaumera to drive biopolymer innovation

We’re excited to welcome Anand Raja to the Kaumera Sales & Services team as our new Application Research Engineer. With a deep background in biopolymers and a passion for bridging the gap between science and practical application, Anand is a key addition to our mission: turning Kaumera from a promising innovation into a proven, market-ready material for sustainable applications.

Anand has been involved with Kaumera since his master's internship and later pursued a PhD focused on understanding its unique properties. His research explored the chemical composition and potential applications of Kaumera, particularly its use as a sustainable binder, flame retardant, and gel component.

“My role is to support customers in applying Kaumera effectively and to explore how we can tailor it for new use cases,” Anand explains. “We’re not just scaling a product — we’re developing the tools and knowledge that make Kaumera work in real industries.”

In his new role, Anand will help:

• Guide application development with (academic) partners and customers.
• Translate academic insights into practical solutions.
• Identify scalable market applications for the Kaumera biopolymer in agriculture, green construction, and chemical formulations.

“Hiring Anand is a real step forward for Kaumera,” says Patrick van der Velden, Managing Director at Kaumera Sales and Services. “We’re building the bridge from lab to market, and his perspective and expertise are exactly what we need to support that transition.”