London-based biomaterials startup Shellworks has successfully raised $15 million in a Series A funding round
London-based biomaterials startup Shellworks has successfully raised $15 million in a Series A funding round (roughly £11 million or €15 million) to scale the production of its sustainable, plastic-free packaging alternative, Vivomer.
The round was led by Paris-based impact investment fund Alter Equity, with participation from Nat Friedman (NFDG), JamJar, and existing investors including LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures, True Ventures, and Founder Collective.
Founded in 2019, Shellworks creates Vivomer, a material produced through the fermentation of microbes and second-generation feedstocks (like used cooking oil). It is fully compostable and breaks down without leaving microplastics.
Shellworks has achieved cost parity with traditional materials like glass and aluminium, even at a relatively small production scale of 5 million units. And after testing at a recycling facility, the material is deemed separable at the recycling stage (if it doesn't go into composting, as it should), making it safe for use in the mainstream market.
After six years of development and scaling, Shellworks is starting to prove that plant-based materials can compete with conventional packaging on cost and at scale. Vivomer is made by using microbes to ferment second-generation feedstocks, creating a material that’s stable in use but biodegrades completely when disposed of.
The funding will help us expand into the US and partner with more brands ready to make the transition. They are building production facilities and cracking hard technologies like blow moulding with bio-materials that people said would take another decade.
The new capital will be used to expand operations into the US and European markets, specifically targeting the beauty and wellness sectors, and to develop advanced manufacturing techniques such as blow moulding.
The company has already partnered with brands such as Wild, Phil’s, Dulcie, and Pamela Anderson’s Sonsie Skin, a beauty brand disrupting the industry.
