UK-based deep-tech start-up Sparxell raised new funding to scale its bioinspired, plant-based color technology, aiming to replace toxic synthetic colorants.
WHO: Sparxell was founded in 2022 by Cambridge scientists, led by Dr. Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, who discovered ways to replicate vibrant colors in nature using entirely plant-based cellulose, a renewable, biodegradable resource that can be extracted from waste streams. Sparxell’s pigments use the same material many plants and animals use to produce vivid, durable, and fade-resistant colorants. The products are toxin-free and fully biodegradable with a color intensity that lasts longer than traditional colorants and pigments on the market. Applications span textiles, cosmetics, packaging, food and beverage, automotive, and coatings, with drop-in compatibility for existing manufacturing processes.
WHY: The investment will support Sparxell’s transition from pilot projects to commercial-scale manufacturing, with tonne-scale production facilities expected to be operational in 2026.
DETAILS:
- Sparxell raised $5 million in a pre-Series A funding round led by Swen Capital Partners’ Blue Ocean 2 fund, with participation from Alpha Star Capital and Cambridge Enterprise.
- In 2024, Sparxell completed a $3.2 million funding round. The Circular Innovation Fund participated in the seed funding alongside others, including SpaceX backer Future Communities Capital, sustainability-focused investor PDS Ventures, impact investor Katapult, biotech and consumer sectors investor Joyance Partners, and climate investor SNØCAP VC.
- The business has won significant awards worth more than $350K from Morgan Stanley’s...
