London-based Notpla, which develops scalable materials from seaweeds and plants for sustainable packaging, has secured £20 million in Series A funding.
This follows the investments in similar startups that revolutionise the sustainable packaging industry, including Vytal and Aeropowder among others.
Investment details
The round was led by UB Forest Industry Green Growth Fund with participation from Catalytic Capital for Climate & Health (C3H), as well as Horizons Ventures and Astanor, including the Schmidt Family Foundation, Radicle Impact, EIT Food’s AgriFoodInvest, Broadwater Cap, Kibo Invest, Rosebrook, Trousdale Ventures, and Ocean Born Foundation.
The company intends to use the funds to accelerate expansion into the North American market, to scale up manufacturing capabilities, and to broaden the product range.
Revolutionises sustainable packaging
Founded in 2014 by Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier, Notpla is a sustainable packaging innovator. The plastic-free alternatives include seaweed-coated food containers, edible liquid bubbles and flexible film replacements.
To date, their solutions have already replaced 13 million pieces of single-use plastic from entering our environment. Notpla has replaced over 16 million single-use plastic items across Europe, from their seaweed-lined takeaway food containers, to their famed ‘Ooho’ – an edible liquid bubble. It is expected that they will dramatically increase this volume to over 100 million units annually within the next 2 years.
The company’s innovative packaging, which is both plastic-free and home-compostable, has been adopted by major corporations in Europe including Compass Group, Decathlon, and Just Eat Takeaway.com. Notpla’s materials are currently used in 10 European markets and help to eliminate plastic in leading stadiums and venues such as Aston Villa FC, The O2 Arena, Allianz Stadium, and Tottenham Hotspurs.
Notpla Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Rodrigo García González, shared his thoughts on this milestone: “We are thrilled to have secured this level of investment in such a competitive environment. This round not only validates our approach but also positions us to capitalise on the growing demand for truly plastic-free packaging solutions in global markets, especially as we develop our material’s possibilities.”
Pierre Paslier, Notpla Co-Founder and Co-CEO, added: “Our investors recognise the commercial potential of our technology and our unique solutions. This funding allows us to accelerate our growth and continue leading the market in sustainable innovation.”
Investors’ views
Ryan Tan, Director at C3H, said: “Notpla’s business is well aligned with Temasek Trust’s impact focus areas. We believe that Notpla’s strong customer traction and product innovation position them well for further business expansion, as they realise even more impact and reduce the environmental harm caused by single-use plastics. We are proud to be part of Notpla’s journey and to see it growing from strength to strength since winning The Earthshot Prize, of which we are a Founding Partner.”
David Walker, UB Forest Industry Green Growth Fund’s Senior Partner, stated: “Notpla’s innovative approach to sustainable packaging, particularly its use of seaweed as a renewable resource, represents a groundbreaking shift away from traditional single-use plastics. This investment aligns perfectly with our mission to drive green growth and promote sustainable practices across industries. We’re excited to partner with Notpla as they scale their operations and continue to lead the charge in reducing the environmental impact of packaging globally.”
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