Funds for firm that’s seeking to save oceans
A University of Bath spin-out company seeking to help to reduce plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has secured sixfigure funding to commercialise its technology across multiple industries and markets.
Naturbeads develops biodegradable alternatives to microplastics that are used in products including toothpaste, cosmetics, adhesives and paint to act as sensory agents, structuring agents or emulsifiers.
Concerns have been raised by global environment agencies that the little beads of plastic, which are less than five millimetres long, are accumulating in marine ecosystems and have a growing presence in the human food chain.
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”.
The company’s chief executive and co-founder, Giovanna Laudisio, said that wastewater treatment plants were unable to capture plastic microbeads when they are washed down sinks, leading to them then travelling directly into the environment.
Ms Laudisio, who has more than 15 years of experience in research and development and technology commercialisation, said the issue needed to be addressed “urgently”.
Ms Laudisio said: “It’s estimated that 250,000 tonnes of microplastics from cosmetics and paints end up in the oceans every year – equivalent to 25 billion plastic bottles.
“We must act now because future generations will not be able to remove microplastics from the environment, they’re just too small and too spread out across the globe.”
Naturbeads has won a £425,000 grant from Innovate UK to explore industrial scale production of its microbeads alternative for cosmetics and paints, and also its potential use in the production of lab-grown meat products.
Ms Laudisio said the business had been receiving support from Innovate UK EDGE, which had helped it to develop its business plan and attend “key” networking events.
Ms Laudisio said: “The events have enabled us to present to corporates, both domestically and internationally, and begin fostering partnerships that could make us more attractive to future investors.”
Another biotech firm collaborating with the University of Bath, Kelpi, recently received private and public investment to scale its production of compostable food packaging made from seaweed, in a bid to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
Last month Setsquared, an enterprise partnership involving some of the South West’s leading universities, secured £2 million from Innovate UK to help accelerate the growth of tech firms in the region.