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Tech

Bath start-up secures funding to develop seaweed-based food packaging

Kelpi says its bioplastic alternative has "huge potential" to help fight climate change

A researcher at the University of Bath working on Kelpi's seaweed-based alternative to plastic food packaging.(Image: Kelpi)

A biotech company in Bath has secured funding to develop compostable food packaging made from seaweed in a bid to reduce the use of single-use plastics.

Kelpi, which is collaborating with the University of Bath on the project, has received private and public investment to scale work on its bioplastic technology, which the start-up says is both marine-safe and carbon neutral.

The company, alongside researchers at the university’s Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies, has been developing solutions to thin plastic film used in the food industry. These materials are often produced with chemicals derived from fossil fuel, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.

The business has now closed a pre-seed investment round led by Bristol Private Equity Club (BPEC), a group of entrepreneurs in the city, combined with a grant from a scheme aiming to simplify public/private co-investment into deep-tech businesses.

Kelpi is developing a sustainable solution to single-use plastic film used in food packaging.(Image: Kelpi)

Kelpi co-founder and chief executive Neil Morris said the “landmark investment” would allow the company to become one of a “handful” of firms worldwide that is working entirely bioplastic food packaging.

Mr Morris said: “We set out to play a part in eliminating plastic pollution and enabling net zero. This funding will allow us to accelerate progress towards achieving that goal using seaweed - a natural, renewable biomass that has huge potential to sequester carbon and sustainably address climate change.”

The backing from BPEC represents the first significant investment from the group’s new Seed division, which focuses on early-stage businesses.

BPEC Seed’s Pete Lockett said Mr Morris, co-founder Murrary Kenneth and chief technical officer professor Chris Chuck had developed a business that could play a “vital role” in addressing climate change and plastic pollution.