Xampla secures $14 million to scale plant-based plastic alternatives

Xampla has raised $14 million in Series A funding to accelerate the replacement of single-use plastics with plant-based alternatives.

The funding round was led by Emerald Technology Ventures, BGF and Matterwave Ventures, with additional support from existing investors including Amadeus Capital Partners and Horizons Ventures. The new capital will see Xampla's Morro materials deployed to replace over ten billion units of single-use plastic in the next five years.

Funding and investors

Emerald Technology Ventures, which runs a specialist venture-backed fund focused on the packaging lifecycle, spearheaded the investment. BGF, one of the largest growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland, and Munich-based Matterwave Ventures also led the round. These firms seek to catalyse advanced materials with environmental benefits and commercial potential.

Neil Cameron, who leads Emerald's sustainable packaging fund, commented:

"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. The global barrier coatings market alone is set to be worth over $30 billion by 2032, and that is just the beginning."

Xampla has developed Morro materials from plant proteins, creating a natural polymer alternative to polluting plastics. The materials are plastic-free, biodegradable, home compostable, and produced using regenerative plant sources such as peas, rapeseed and sunflower. The company estimates its technology could replace linings in takeaway boxes, coffee cups, sachets, and other forms of heavily used single-use plastic across the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Commercial partnerships

Xampla's Morro Coating has already been implemented via commercial partnerships with firms including 2M Group of Companies, Huhtamaki and Transcend Packaging. Food delivery platforms like Just Eat Takeaway and Bunzl Catering Supplies have adopted these coatings to maintain the recyclability of cardboard packaging while preserving important barrier properties against grease, oxygen and moisture. Xampla reports that unlike many plastic coatings, Morro materials allow packaging to be recycled without further separation processes.

Additionally, Xampla is pursuing applications for its Morro films, which are soluble and can substitute the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) plastics typically used in dishwasher tablets and laundry pods. Being food-safe, these films also have potential as edible packaging for single-serve food items such as confectionery and soups.

Work is also ongoing to adapt Morro materials for use with major fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands and fragrance houses, aiming to replace plastic microcapsules that carry scents and active ingredients in home care and beauty products.

Industry alignment and scalability

The company's technology is positioned as compliant with evolving regulatory frameworks, including exemption from the European Union's Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD). All materials are produced without PFAS and are entirely plastic-free. Rowan Bird, Investor at BGF, emphasised the scalability and practical advantages of Xampla's approach:

"Xampla's technology stands out as a truly scalable and practical alternative to plastic. Its patented, entirely natural and PFAS-free material is not only strong in performance but also drop-in ready for existing manufacturing lines, making it an attractive option for brands looking to adopt more sustainable solutions. 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."

Ines Kolmsee of Matterwave Ventures praised Xampla's operational development, stating:

"Xampla's mission fully aligns with ours: they are tackling a major sustainability issue with smart technology that can be used in existing manufacturing equipment, making it both easy to adopt and capital efficient. What really wowed us is their global team. These are real experts, drawing on the best science from the University of Cambridge and elsewhere. But this isn't an academic exercise. 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."

Outlook

Chief Executive Alexandra French underlined the ambition driving the company's next steps:

"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. In just the next five years, Xampla will replace ten billion pieces of single-use plastic. This is the technology industry has been crying out for. Our ambition now is nothing less than to see our products – proudly bearing their Morro marque – become the world's go-to plastic replacement."

Xampla works with a range of organisations in scaling Morro materials and is seeking to further diversify their applications through additional partnerships in the food delivery, packaging, skincare and household products sectors.