Swiss bio-materials company Seprify has secured $15.4 Million in a Series A funding round to scale its innovative cellulose-based ingredients. This investment, led by a consortium including Inter IKEA Group, will accelerate the company's transition from pilot validation to industrial-scale supply. The move positions Seprify to meet growing global demand for sustainable alternatives to materials like titanium dioxide.
Strategic Investment for Industrial Scale-Up
The funding round was supported by a mix of strategic and financial investors, including Una Terra Early Growth Fund, Zürcher Kantonalbank, and Cambridge Enterprise Ventures. This capital infusion is earmarked for scaling commercial production to hundreds of tonnes annually through established manufacturing partners. The primary goal is to enable customers to move from trials to repeatable, long-term sourcing agreements.
According to co-founder and CEO Lukas Schertel, the company's immediate priority is execution and scale to meet industrial customer requirements. Seprify will focus on delivering consistent quality and reliable supply for the cosmetics, personal care, food, and pet food sectors. The company is also preparing to address higher-volume applications in coatings, inks, and printed electronics.
Bio-Inspired Technology Meets Market Demand
Seprify's technology is inspired by the Cyphochilus beetle, which achieves a brilliant white color through the microscopic structure of its scales. The company's platform replicates this natural phenomenon by precisely engineering cellulose particles to scatter light with high efficiency. This innovative process creates whiteness and opacity through physical structure rather than chemical composition.
The market opportunity for Seprify's platform has been amplified by increasing regulatory scrutiny of incumbent materials. For instance, the European Union's 2022 ban on titanium dioxide as a food additive created an urgent need for safe, high-performance alternatives. Seprify’s cellulose-based solutions are designed to directly address this gap for manufacturers seeking compliant ingredients.
Validated Products and Commercial Traction
The company has developed several flagship product grades, including SilvaLuma, a cellulose-based SPF booster for cosmetics, and SilvaAlba, a food-grade whitening agent. These products are designed as scalable and effective alternatives to conventional ingredients, showcasing the platform's adaptability. The materials are derived from FSC-certified wood pulp, offering significant sustainability benefits.
Seprify's technology has achieved a high level of maturity, having been validated at Technology Readiness Levels 7-9 through collaborations with industry partners. The company is currently engaged with over 100 customer organizations, with relationships spanning from active evaluations to early commercial supply. This traction indicates strong market confidence and a clear path toward widespread adoption.
Robert Carleke of Inter IKEA Group highlighted the platform's credibility and readiness for industrial use. He noted that IKEA seeks solutions that can realistically replace high-impact materials while integrating into existing manufacturing and recycling systems. This strategic partnership validates Seprify's potential not just for specific applications but as a scalable materials platform.
With its new funding and strategic backing, Seprify is poised to make a significant impact on the industrial materials market. The company's transition to commercial-scale production marks a critical step in providing a viable, bio-based alternative to widely used ingredients. This development signals a promising future for sustainable materials innovation driven by nature-inspired engineering.