Marly-based bio-materials startup Seprify, which develops cellulose-based materials for use in industrial products, has secured €13.4 million in a Series A round from Inter IKEA Group, as Vestbee was informed.
- Launched in 2020 by Lukas Schertel, Wadood Hamad and Oliver Polcher, Seprify develops cellulose-based materials designed to replace synthetic or mineral ingredients used in industrial products.
- The Swiss company engineers microscopic cellulose particles that scatter light, creating white pigments and functional additives that can be used in cosmetics, food, coatings, inks and other applications.
- Its approach draws inspiration from the ultra-white structure found in the scales of the Cyphochilus beetle, replicating similar optical properties using plant-derived cellulose through industrial processing.
- The resulting materials aim to provide alternatives to conventional substances such as titanium dioxide, which are widely used for whitening and opacity in manufactured goods.
Details of the deal
- The round includes participation from Inter IKEA Group, alongside investors Una Terra Early Growth Fund, Zürcher Kantonalbank (ZKB), Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Kickfund, and other circular-economy-aligned investors.
“Seprify’s cellulose platform has reached a level of maturity that makes this a credible path to explore, not only for specific applications such as coatings and surface finishes, but as a scalable materials platform with the consistency and operational readiness required for industrial use. We’re looking forward to this exploratory project," Robert Carleke, Innovation Ventures Manager at Inter IKEA Group, commented in a press release.
- With the fresh capital, Seprify plans to scale commercial production of its cellulose-based materials to hundreds of tonnes per year through manufacturing partners, while expanding its rollout across cosmetics and personal care, food and pet food, and coatings.
- The company will also use the funding to support supplier qualification and procurement processes with industrial customers and to advance engineering work for larger-scale production capacity.
