Per Falholt

Per Falholt is a Danish chemical engineer with more than 40 years of experience in industrial biotechnology and innovation. He spent over three decades at Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, where he held senior leadership roles, including EVP of R&D, and was responsible for global research centers and the successful launch of around 200 new enzyme products across multiple industries.

Since 2016, he has co-founded several biotech companies, including Bactolife, Lactobio (sold to L’Oréal in 2023), ExelCyte, and 21st.BIO, where he serves as co-founder of a fast-growing Danish-American biotech firm. He is also an inventor on ~15 patents and contributed to pioneering enzyme technologies, large-scale protein production, and the application of CRISPR and other advanced biotech tools.

Falholt has served as Chairman of DTU’s Board (2012–2020) and currently holds board positions at Danfoss, Co-Ro, and several biotech ventures, as well as advisory roles at DTU and international life science companies.