Kalion was founded to take on the significant challenge of commercializing important new molecules that could be derived in a greener manner and offer significant advantages over traditional oil-based molecules. Prof. Kristala Prather at MIT decided using the Department of Energy's Top Value-Added Chemical from Biomass Report that glucaric acid offered a significant challenge but if successful it could offer a new platform chemical that could would have much to offer the world. Her success, with glucaric acid and the subsequent development at Kalion has created a high purity glucaric acid that now allows companies and researchers from other universities to fully exploited the unique properties of glucaric acid and related molecules.