Investment News for Biotech Start-Ups

• Amphico and Biophilica receive UKRI funds for R&D collaborations 

• Sparxell complete their seed funding round after raising $3.2m

• Spiber announce investments of over JPY 10b 

• Fibe close their pre-seed round with £1m

Amphico and Biophilica receive UKRI funds for R&D collaborations 

In March 2024, UKRI announced the 18 projects nominated for the Resource Efficiency for Materials and Manufacturing collaborative R&D competition. £12m will be split across the projects, with a focus on the development of reliable methods to support efficient use of resources. 

Among these projects are two which fall within the realm of biodesign. Amphibio Ltd and the University of Leeds were selected to use machine learning to optimise the prediction of colours and optimal colour mixing for waterless textiles dying, whilst Biophilica and the Centre for Process Innovation will be focusing on scaling up the plastic-free leather alternative Treekind®. 

Amphico Ltd is a materials innovator for the outdoor industry developing an alternative to the traditional waterproof textiles, Amphitex. Created from a hydrophobic yarn, the waterproof and breathability properties of Amphitex are comparable to materials used by current industry leaders. Through this project, Amphico will be able to develop its material further by exploring the avenues of textile colouring that align with the company’s goal to avoid environmental toxicity. 

With the increased demand for biodegradable leather alternatives, Biophilica’s Treekind® offers a solution that can hold up to the same durability tests as real leather whilst offering the option to fully decompose in your back garden at the end of a product’s life. The recent partnership between Sappi and Biophilica has added the option for a variety of textures to the plastic-free leather alternative increasing its versatility across premium goods. With the funding to increase the production of Treekind®, Biophilica aims to grow to a commercial scale with sights set on the fashion industry. 

Sparxell completed their seed funding round after raising $3.2m

Last week, Sparxell, a producer of plant-based pigments, announced $3.2m (~£2.6m) in seed funding. The biotech company utilises the understanding of light scattering in plant-based cellulose to develop colourants – a dye or pigment that gives a product its, you guessed it, colour. The application for colourants ranges across industries from textiles to cosmetics to food and drinks, the list goes on, and the markets being targeted by the Cambridge University spinout include the beauty, fashion, packaging and paint industries. 

With backers including cosmetics giant L’Oreal, Future Communities Capital and  Circular Innovation Fund, the seed funding will drive the scaling to pilot production and back product development with brand partnerships. The biotech company is expected to launch their Series A round in upcoming months with production capacity set to expand and commercialise.

Spiber announced investments of over JPY 10b 

Earlier this month, the Japanese biotechnology company, Spiber Inc raised over JPY 10b (~£52m). Molecular engineering of nature-inspired proteins to create the company’s, Brewed Protein. This protein is used across their portfolio of materials (fibres, films, yarn etc) to open up a class of materials that range in properties. Spiber’s previous collaboration with brands has demonstrated the growing demand for these materials. The investments will continue to support the R&D and the production system to bolster the production system for mass production to meet the anticipated demand.  

Fibe close their pre-seed round with £1m

Fibe, a UK material company that makes fibres from potato waste, have raised £1m for their pre-seed round. This round of investments was led by Tin Shed Ventures, Alante Capital, PDS Ventures and First Imagine and will drive the upscaling of production to commercially validate an affordable fibre for the textiles market.

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