Bath start-up hoping to replace harmful plastic receives major new funding
The Bath company is set to expand production of biodegradable alternatives to microplastics
Naturbeads, a groundbreaking startup from the University of Bath, has secured £7.8 million in funding to further its mission of reducing plastic pollution.
The investment will fund the construction of a new factory in Italy, boosting production of its biodegradable microspheres.
With the objective of reducing plastic pollution, Naturbeads develops plant-based microspheres designed to substitute microplastics in a variety of products.
Launched in 2018, Naturbeads capitalised on research initiated by Professor Janet Scott and Professor Davide Mattia at Bath’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
Professor Davide Mattia said: “Naturbeads success would not have been possible without the constant support of the University of Bath.
"Janet and I started working on the technology behind Naturbeads over 10 years ago with support from the CSCT, now known as the Institute of Sustainability and Climate Change.
Naturbeads CEO and co-founder Dr Giovanna Laudisio added: “Our differentiator from other companies working to address plastic pollution, 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.”
An estimated 2 million tonnes of microplastics are added each year to everyday products including cosmetics, detergents, adhesives, paints, and others.
Dr Laudisio added: “Naturbeads exemplifies how industry and academia together drive impactful change. Our expansion reflects a collaborative effort to improve environmental sustainability for future generations.”