The Company And Basis Of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
The Company And Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]
The Company And Basis Of Presentation	1. THE COMPANY AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Solazyme, Inc. (the "Company") was incorporated in the State of Delaware on March 31, 2003. The Company's proprietary technology transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value oils. The Company's renewable products can replace or enhance oils derived from the world's three existing sources-petroleum, plants, and animal fats. The Company tailors the composition of its oils to address specific customer requirements, offering superior performance characteristics at a competitive cost compared to conventional oils. The Company has pioneered an industrial biotechnology platform that harnesses the prolific oil-producing capability of microalgae. The Company uses standard industrial fermentation equipment to efficiently scale and accelerate microalgae's natural oil production time to a few days. By feeding the Company's proprietary oil-producing microalgae plant sugars in dark fermentation tanks, the Company is in effect utilizing "indirect photosynthesis" in contrast to the traditional open-pond approaches. The Company's platform is feedstock flexible and can utilize a wide variety of renewable plant-based sugars, such as sugarcane-based sucrose, corn-based dextrose, and sugar from other sustainable biomass sources including cellulosics, which the Company believes will represent an important alternative feedstock in the longer term. In addition, the Company's platform allows it to produce and sell bioproducts that are made from the protein, fiber and other compounds produced by microalgae. On June 2, 2011, the Company completed its initial public offering, issuing 12,021,250 shares of common stock at an offering price of $18.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $201.2 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $15.1 million. Additionally, the Company incurred offering costs of $4.2 million related to the initial public offering. Upon the closing of the initial public offering, the Company's outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into 34,534,125 shares of common stock and the outstanding Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants were automatically converted into 303,855 shares of common stock. The Company expects ongoing losses as it continues scale-up activities, expands research and development activities and supports commercialization activities for the Company's products. The Company plans to meet its capital requirements primarily from existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, through equity financing, collaborative agreements and, if necessary, the issuance of debt securities. The industries in which the Company is involved are highly competitive and characterized by the risks of changing technologies, market conditions, and regulatory requirements. Penetration into new markets requires investment of considerable resources and continuous development efforts. The Company's future success depends upon several factors, including the technological quality, price, and performance of its products and services relative to those of its competitors, scaling up of production for commercial sale, ability to secure adequate project financing at appropriate terms, and the nature of regulation in those markets.

The Company And Basis Of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

The Company And Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]

1. THE COMPANY AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Solazyme, Inc. (the "Company") was incorporated in the State of Delaware on March 31, 2003. The Company's proprietary technology transforms a range of low-cost plant-based sugars into high-value oils. The Company's renewable products can replace or enhance oils derived from the world's three existing sources-petroleum, plants, and animal fats. The Company tailors the composition of its oils to address specific customer requirements, offering superior performance characteristics at a competitive cost compared to conventional oils. The Company has pioneered an industrial biotechnology platform that harnesses the prolific oil-producing capability of microalgae. The Company uses standard industrial fermentation equipment to efficiently scale and accelerate microalgae's natural oil production time to a few days. By feeding the Company's proprietary oil-producing microalgae plant sugars in dark fermentation tanks, the Company is in effect utilizing "indirect photosynthesis" in contrast to the traditional open-pond approaches. The Company's platform is feedstock flexible and can utilize a wide variety of renewable plant-based sugars, such as sugarcane-based sucrose, corn-based dextrose, and sugar from other sustainable biomass sources including cellulosics, which the Company believes will represent an important alternative feedstock in the longer term. In addition, the Company's platform allows it to produce and sell bioproducts that are made from the protein, fiber and other compounds produced by microalgae.

On June 2, 2011, the Company completed its initial public offering, issuing 12,021,250 shares of common stock at an offering price of $18.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $201.2 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions of $15.1 million. Additionally, the Company incurred offering costs of $4.2 million related to the initial public offering. Upon the closing of the initial public offering, the Company's outstanding shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into 34,534,125 shares of common stock and the outstanding Series B redeemable convertible preferred stock warrants were automatically converted into 303,855 shares of common stock.

The Company expects ongoing losses as it continues scale-up activities, expands research and development activities and supports commercialization activities for the Company's products. The Company plans to meet its capital requirements primarily from existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, through equity financing, collaborative agreements and, if necessary, the issuance of debt securities.

The industries in which the Company is involved are highly competitive and characterized by the risks of changing technologies, market conditions, and regulatory requirements. Penetration into new markets requires investment of considerable resources and continuous development efforts. The Company's future success depends upon several factors, including the technological quality, price, and performance of its products and services relative to those of its competitors, scaling up of production for commercial sale, ability to secure adequate project financing at appropriate terms, and the nature of regulation in those markets.