A ‘biological solution’: Lux Bio CEO Paige Whitehead holds a Lume light stick prototype against the Toronto skyline.
Thrive Impact Fund is thrilled to see investee, Lux Bio (formerly Nyoka), getting a well-deserved spotlight in The Tyee.
Ten years ago, Paige Whitehead saw that downside first-hand while volunteering to pick up garbage at the Shambhala Music Festival. Today she is CEO of a Vancouver startup called Lux Bio that’s releasing its own version of the iconic bendy light — powered by bioluminescence and completely biodegradable.
“I never thought I’d be running a company. It was never my goal,” she said. “But I’ve always been a problem solver and this is a way you can solve a problem.”
Read more in Bright Idea: This Natural Glow Stick Doesn’t Pollute
Lux Bio invented a bioluminescent alternative to the toxic plastic wands that litter landfills and oceans. Traditional glow sticks are non-recyclable and commonly disposed of in nature. Lux Bio’s Lume will biodegrade in any environment and is powered by the same enzymes found in bioluminescence.