TEN BILLION items of single-use plastic to be replaced, following $14m investment in Xampla

• Xampla has secured $14m of investment, in a round led by Emerald Technology Ventures, BGF and Matterwave Ventures

• The University of Cambridge spin out has created world-first natural materials from plant protein, to replace the world’s most polluting plastics
• Funding will see more than ten billion units of single-use plastic replaced with Xampla’s Morro™ materials in the next five years
  

ZURICH, Sept. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A major injection of $14m in private capital is set to accelerate UK materials innovation company Xampla’s mission to replace single-use plastics with alternatives made from plants.

Lead investor Emerald Technology Ventures runs Europe’s first specialist, venture-backed investment fund targeting the full packaging lifecycle. The fund aims to catalyse leaps in advanced materials that benefit the planet and earn significant returns.

Also leading the Series A round is BGF, one of the largest growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland, and Munich-based Matterwave Ventures, along with follow-on investment from existing investors including Amadeus Capital Partners and Horizons Ventures.

Over the next five years, the funding will see Xampla’s revolutionary Morro™ materials replace more than ten billion units of the most polluting single-use plastic, including plastic linings found in takeaway boxes, coffee cups and sachets.

Global plastic production is estimated to rise to a billion tonnes annually, and with less than 10% of plastic ever produced being recycled, there are now 8 billion tonnes of plastics and microplastics in our global environment. ¹²

Xampla’s Morro materials offer a world-first natural polymer alternative. Made from regenerative plant proteins, they are completely plastic-free, biodegradable and home compostable.

Through partnerships with big names such as 2M Group of Companies, Huhtamaki and Transcend Packaging, Xampla has already replaced polluting coatings on boxes used by food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway and Bunzl Catering Supplies.

Unlike plastic, Morro™ Coating maintains the recyclability of cardboard without compromising on grease, oxygen and moisture barrier properties.

The company’s Morro™ films, being commercialised through global partnerships, are soluble, giving them the potential to replace polluting plastic PVA films in dishwasher tablets and laundry pods. They are also food-safe and can be used as edible replacements for packaging a wide range of single-serve products, from sweets to soups.

In addition, Xampla is working in partnership with leading FMCG brands and fragrance houses to deploy Morro™ materials in place of harmful plastic microencapsulates used to convey scents and active ingredients in homecare and beauty products.

Made from abundant and natural plant protein feedstocks, including peas, rapeseed and sunflower, the materials are completely PFAS and plastic-free, and exempt from the European Union’s Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD).

Xampla’s Chief Executive, Alexandra French, said:

“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.”

Neil Cameron, lead in Emerald’s sustainable packaging investment fund, added:

“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 $30bn by 2032, and that is just the beginning.”

Rowan Bird, Investor at BGF, said:

“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 at Matterwave Ventures, added:

“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.”

For more information: www.xampla.com/morro-materials

Media contact:
Catherine Kitchen
Catherine@higginsonstrategy.com 
+44 7763 671 844

Notes to Editors

About Xampla and Morro™ materials

Xampla is a materials innovation company unlocking the power of plants to create natural materials that change the world. Its range of world-first Morro materials are natural alternatives developed to address the plastic pollution crisis, and have been designed to eliminate the worldʼs most polluting plastics.

400 million tonnes of plastic waste produced every year globally according to figures from the United Nations. Morro™ materials re designed to leave nothing harmful behind.

Made from plants with no chemical modification, they are completely plastic-free, home compostable, fully biodegradable, and SUPD exempt. In scaling their Morro™ materials, Xampla has partnered with leading organisations including 2M Group of Companies, ELEMIS Skincare, Transcend Packaging, Just Eat and Gousto.

Find out more at www.xampla.com/morro-materials

About Emerald Technology Ventures

Emerald is a globally recognised venture capital firm, founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with four current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and five third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups.

Bold Ideas. Bright Future. www.emerald.vc

About BGF

BGF was set up in 2011 and has invested £4.5 billion in more than 600 companies to date making it the most active growth capital investor in the UK. BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with a patient outlook on investments, based on shared long-term goals with the management teams it backs. BGF invests in growing businesses in the UK and Ireland through its network of 15 offices. BGF’s early-stage team has backed a wide range of ambitious founders at the forefront of innovation, with a strong track record of investing in deep tech businesses, across sectors such as semiconductors, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence. In addition, BGF invests in a range of climate tech companies, tackling pressing global issues including decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and environmental improvement. BGF is a certified UK B Corporation (B Corp), reflecting its commitment to creating a positive impact across the growth economy.

About Matterwave Ventures

Matterwave Ventures is a leading European Venture Capital firm that invests in early-stage hardware and software companies transforming the European industrial sector towards a more sustainable, sovereign, and digitalized future. By providing capital and support to the continent's most ambitious founder teams and most relevant technology assets, Matterwave builds category winners that form the backbone of a thriving European industrial ecosystem. Over the last 25 years, the team invested in over 70 companies in ClimateTech, DeepTech and IndustrialTech. With over EUR 250 million of capital under management, Matterwave typically leads Seed and Series A financing rounds across Europe with initial investments between EUR 1-4 million and significant reserves for follow-on financing rounds.

Backing the future of European industry. www.matterwave.vc

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: 

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¹ UN Environment Programme, 2021: Drowning in Plastics – Marine Litter and Plastic Waste Vital Graphics
² The Lancet, 2025: Countdown on health and plastics

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