Bath, UK-based Naturbeads, a startup commercialising sustainable and biodegradable cellulose ingredients, announced on Thursday, November 14 that it has secured £7.8M (approximately €9.3M) in a Series A funding round led by Eos Advisory.
Other investors, including Progress Tech Transfer, MITO Tech Ventures, CDP Venture Capital, PI-NB, and Paragon Capital Management, also participated in the round.
The UK company will use the funds to develop its technology further to address worldwide microplastic pollution. The announcement comes as the company is all set to build its first production plant in Puglia, Italy.
Naturbeads CEO and co-founder Dr Giovanna Laudisio says, “Microplastics have been found at the top of Arctic mountains and in the depths of the Mariana Trench, with a recent study forecasting that microplastic pollution could more than double over the next decade.”
“Our differentiator from other companies who are trying to solve challenges around plastic packaging is that we are one of few that is solely focused on the plastic found within daily products, and producing an eco-friendly, scalable alternative,” adds Laudisio.
Naturbeads: Replacing microplastics with cellulose microspheres
Microplastics – plastic particles that are less than five millimetres in size – persist in the environment for hundreds of years, contributing to pollution in waterways, marine ecosystems, oceans, and soil.
They have been detected in over 1,300 marine species, are embedded in the food chain, and have raised serious concerns about their impact on ecosystems and human health.
Naturbeads was founded in 2018 by Professor Davide Mattia, Giovanna Laudisio, and the late Professor Janet Scott as a spinout from the University of Bath.
The company has developed a scalable and cost-effective process for manufacturing biodegradable cellulose microspheres, which are designed to replace microplastics in a variety of consumer and industrial products.
The company is working with several manufacturers worldwide to use its cellulose microsphere ingredients in different industries.
These microspheres break down naturally without affecting how well products work. The company expects to share its first commercial achievements in 2025.
The investor
Eos invests in, & commercialises, science & technology, from the local seed stage to the global scale, with a focus on improving lives.
Andrew Durkie, Partner, Eos, says, “Giovanna and her team are tackling one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time, and we look forward to supporting Naturbeads through its next, exciting phase of commercialisation.”
Progress Tech Transfer is an investment fund specialised in sustainable technologies. The fund is advised by MITO Technology.
Alberto Calvo, Managing Director of Progress Tech Transfer, adds, “The leadership team has bold ambitions in coming up with an industrial-grade solution to tackle microplastic pollution in a variety of different applications, with a platform technology that is delivering high technical performance with a fully circular approach.”
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