Xampla raises $14m to scale plant-based packaging solutions

Credit: Xampla

UK-based sustainable materials company Xampla has secured more than $14 million in private investment to accelerate its mission to replace single-use plastics with plant-based packaging alternatives. The Series A funding will support the company’s expansion in the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.

CEO Alexandra French said the investment is a strong endorsement of the company’s approach:

This is a major vote of confidence for our revolutionary replacements for polluting plastics, and will see us expanding into Asia Pacific as well as growing in the UK and Europe. We have proven to investors and to brands that Morro materials are the real deal in making plastic a material of the past. Our ambition now is nothing less than to see our products – proudly bearing their Morro marque – become the world’s go-to plastic replacement.”

The Series A round, led by Emerald Technology Ventures, also includes BGF, Munich-based Matterwave Ventures, and follow-on investment from Amadeus Capital Partners and Horizons Ventures.

Neil Cameron of Emerald Technology Ventures said:

Working with Xampla is part of our mission to turbocharge a revolution in innovative packaging. This technology hits the sweet spot I search for: a big solution to a big problem that can reap big rewards. And with its current global traction, there is huge potential to scale even further.”

Tackling a major sustainability issue

The funding will enable Xampla to deploy its Morro materials over the next five years, replacing more than ten billion units of the most polluting single-use plastics, including linings in takeaway boxes, coffee cups and sachets. With global plastic production expected to reach one billion tonnes annually and less than 10 percent ever recycled, the need for plant-based packaging alternatives is growing rapidly.

Morro materials are a world-first natural polymer made from regenerative plant proteins. They are fully plastic-free, biodegradable, home compostable, and maintain the recyclability of cardboard while providing grease, oxygen and moisture barrier properties.

Ines Kolmsee from Matterwave Ventures commented:

Xampla’s mission fully aligns with ours: they are tackling a major sustainability issue with smart technology that can be used in existing equipment, making it both easy to adopt and capital efficient. They have got their product out of the lab and into the market. It is a remarkable achievement and I know they will now go from strength to strength.”

Rowan Bird from BGF added:

We believe in the strength of the team, the quality of the product and the positive role Xampla can play in helping reduce reliance on polluting plastics. We’re excited to support their continued growth as they bring this innovation to more partners and applications.”

Through partnerships with companies including 2M Group, Huhtamaki, and Transcend Packaging, Xampla has already replaced polluting coatings on boxes used by Just Eat Takeaway and Bunzl Catering Supplies. The company is also rolling out Morro films as soluble alternatives for dishwasher tablets, laundry pods, and edible packaging for single-serve foods including soups and sweets.