Cambridge-based Xampla, a creator of natural materials for commercial applications, has secured $14M (approximately €12M) in a Series A funding round.
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The funding round was co-led by Emerald Technology Ventures, which focuses on packaging, along with BGF, a major investor in the UK and Ireland, and Matterwave Ventures from Munich.
“Working with Xampla is part of our mission to turbocharge a revolution in innovative packaging. This technology hits the sweet spot I search for: a big solution to a big problem that can reap big rewards. And with its current global traction, there is huge potential to scale even further,” says Neil Cameron, Emerald Technology Ventures.
Existing investors, including Amadeus Capital Partners and Horizons Ventures, also joined this round.
Fund utilisation
Over the next five years, the funding will enable Xampla’s Morro materials to replace more than 10B units of single-use plastics, such as the plastic linings in takeaway boxes, coffee cups, and sachets.
“This is a major vote of confidence for our revolutionary replacements for polluting plastics, and will see us expanding into the Asia Pacific as well as growing in the UK and Europe. We have proven to investors and to brands that Morro materials are the real deal in making plastic a material of the past. Our ambition now is nothing less than to see our products – proudly bearing their Morro marque – become the world’s go-to plastic replacement,” Alexandra French, CEO, Xampla.
Xampla: Creating natural materials
Xampla develops materials using natural plant polymers to make a positive environmental impact.
The company’s Morro materials present a world-first natural polymer alternative. Developed from regenerative plant proteins, they are plastic-free, biodegradable, and home-compostable.
Already working with partners such as 2M Group of Companies, Huhtamaki, and Transcend Packaging, Xampla has replaced plastic coatings in boxes used by Just Eat Takeaway and Bunzl Catering Supplies.
Unlike plastic, Morro Coating maintains the recyclability of cardboard while providing strong grease, oxygen, and moisture barrier properties.
Xampla’s Morro films, now being commercialised through global partnerships, are soluble and designed to replace polluting plastic PVA films in dishwasher tablets and laundry pods.
They are also food-safe and can be used as edible packaging for a wide range of single-serve products, from sweets to soups, claims the company.
Currently, the team includes scientists, engineers, and experts focused on creating materials for current brands.
Xampla is recognised as a B Corp company for its commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
The company’s technology stems from over 15 years of research at the University of Cambridge, primarily led by Professor Tuomas Knowles and CTO Dr. Marc Rodriguez.
