Naturbeads, a University of Bath spinout, has secured a £7.8 million Series A funding round to scale up its innovative microplastic pollution solution and establish its first production plant in Puglia, Italy.
Naturbeads is pioneering cellulose microsphere technology developed by CTO Professor Davide Mattia, CEO Giovanna Laudisio and the late Professor Janet Scott. The recent funding will enable Naturbeads to significantly increase production capacity to meet the growing demand for sustainable ingredients across various industries.
Microplastics pose a significant environmental threat and, in response, the EU has introduced regulations to ban microplastics in cosmetics and other products.
Dr Giovanna Laudisio, CEO, 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.”
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