A Bath start-up that has developed technology to help tackle microplastic pollution has secured £7.8m in a Series A funding round. Naturbeads said the capital would be used to help build its first production plant in Puglia, Italy, and increase production capacity.
The University of Bath spin-out was founded in 2018 by professor Davide Mattia, chief executive Giovanna Laudisio and the late professor Janet Scott.
The trio have created a biodegradable alternative to microplastics - plastic particles less than five millimetres in size that persist in the environment for hundreds of years.
READ MORE: {}
EU regulations to ban the use of microplastics in cosmetics and other products were published in October 2023, with a view to phasing out rinse-off products such as shampoos and face washes by 2027, followed by the phase out of further personal and home care products, and agricultural products including fertiliser.
Naturbeads' alternatives to the plastic microbeads are made from cellulose, a naturally occurring substance that gives plants their strength and structure, which the start-up says biodegrade into “harmless sugars”.
Ms Laudisio said: “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.”
St Andrews based Eos Advisory led the latest funding round alongside existing investor Progress Tech Transfer and new investors CDP Venture Capital through its Corporate Partners I Fund, PI-NB, and Paragon Capital Management in Singapore through its early-stage VC fund, Paragon Ventures I.
Most Read
Andrew Durkie, partner at Eos, said: “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.”
Alberto Calvo, managing director at Progress Tech Transfer, added: “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.”
Naturbeads is already collaborating with a number of global manufacturers to integrate its cellulose microsphere ingredients into various industrial applications and expects to announce its first commercial milestones during 2025.