A Bristol tech company that was the only Ƶ finalist for Prince William's Earthshot Prize 2025 has secured funding from Inter IKEA.
Matter has developed technology that prevents microplastics and microfibres from textile production entering waterways during manufacturing.
The company, which has already raised millions of pounds of funding, said Inter IKEA - the group of companies connecting IKEA franchisees with suppliers - was leading the latest round although details of the transaction were not disclosed.
The finance will allow Matter to install its tech in some 400 factories by 2030, preventing 15,000 tones of pollution entering the ocean over the next five years, the business said.
Adam Root, chief executive and founder of Matter, said the investment and adoption of its tech - known as Regen - by Inter IKEA showed "what is possible when sustainability meets commercial viability".
"Large corporates play an important role in supporting new technologies and offers a route to creating impact at scale," he said.
It is understood that Inter IKEA will explore how the filtration technology can transform textile production globally.
Linn Clabburn, innovation ventures Leader at Inter IKEA Group, said: “IKEA is committed to use water sustainably by reducing water usage across our value chain and by protecting nature and supporting communities affected by water pollution.
"The topic of microplastics is an important industry question and through our investment in Matter, we are looking forward to taking an active role in tackling the issue and to inspire widespread water action in society.”
Following the investment round, Matter will scale its industrial filtration technology by working closely with manufacturers across the textile industry supply chain to reduce environmental impact.
Next year, Matter will deliver four full-scale Regen treatment systems to the textile industry.
In 2024, Matter partnered with Paradise Textiles - a producer for brands including Calvin Klein and North Face - on an initiative to cut microbfibre pollution at factories. A year earlier it raised $10m in its Series A funding round.
The business is backed by investors including S2G Ventures, SOUNDwaves and Regeneration.VC - the climate tech fund backed by Leonardo DiCaprio.
