Shellworks Raises €13 Million to Scale 'Vivomer' Bioplastic Production
London-based biotech startup Shellworks has successfully closed a €13 million funding round to dramatically scale the production of Vivomer, its proprietary, completely compostable bioplastic. The investment marks a vital milestone for the company as it seeks to replace conventional fossil-based plastics in the highly demanding cosmetics and personal care packaging sectors.
The Science Behind Vivomer
Unlike early-generation bioplastics that often rely on agricultural food crops and require specialized industrial composting facilities to break down, Vivomer is a unique Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) produced through advanced microbial fermentation. Shellworks utilizes specific naturally occurring soil microbes that consume diverse carbon sources and convert them into a durable biopolymer.
This bio-based material functions just like conventional plastic during its useful shelf life. However, once discarded, it acts as a natural food source for the microbes present in standard earth and marine environments. Consequently, Vivomer completely degrades at its end-of-life without leaving behind persistent, toxic microplastics, making it fully suitable for home composting.
Targeting the Premium Beauty Sector
The personal care and premium beauty industries have historically struggled to adopt sustainable packaging that maintains the rigorous aesthetic, tactile, and functional properties required for high-end consumer products. Vivomer has gained significant commercial traction in this niche because it can be customized for varying degrees of flexibility, opacity, and color. Furthermore, it offers the strict barrier properties required to protect sensitive cosmetic formulations from oxidation and contamination.
Accelerating Commercial Scale-Up
The newly injected €13 million capital will be explicitly directed toward expanding Shellworks’ manufacturing footprint and optimizing its fermentation processes. By shifting from pilot-scale to full commercial-scale production, the company anticipates a massive increase in annual tonnage. This scale-up aims to reduce lead times and lower unit costs, making Vivomer a financially viable drop-in alternative for a broader range of global brand partners. Additionally, the funding will support specialized R&D efforts to engineer new grades of the biopolymer for wider packaging applications.
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