Brisbane startup Earthodic has raised US$4 million (A$6m) in Seed funding because the local weather tech packaging answer seems to be to make its mark within the US.
The spherical was led by meals methods targeted California VC FTW Ventures, with assist from Flow into Capital, the Queensland Funding Company (QIC), UniQuest Fund, Vital Capital Ventures, Department Enterprise Group, RedStick Ventures and different US-based angel buyers. Earthodic’s present backers, native impression buyers Tenacious Ventures and Investible, and New York-based Closed Loop Companions, additionally chipped in.
Earthodic has developed recyclable bio-based waterproof coatings for paper packaging it hopes will cut back packaging waste, which accounts for round 30% of landfill waste. It’s patented Biobarc coating has the potential to chop paper and plastic from landfills and eradicate microplastic air pollution.
The capital will see them broaden the product and gross sales groups, in addition to manufacturing and distribution partnerships throughout the US and Australia.
Earthodic is establishing a US HQ on the Innovation Middle at Western Michigan College in Kalamazoo, close to the uni’s pilot coating plant and tappi (paper testing) lab. The world can be dwelling to quite a few paper and packaging firms.
Over the previous 12 months, Earthodic has carried out coating trials at WMU’s pilot plant for merchandise corresponding to produce punnets and cold-chain packaging, which confirmed the sustainable coatings permit packaging firms to make eco-friendly enhancements with minimal disruption.
Earthodics renewable and recyclable bio-coating waterproofs paper packaging
The startup additionally acquired lignin (a renewable biopolymer thought of a waste product in paper making) coating patents from Queensland College of Expertise, in addition to touchdown pilot trials with multinational packaging firms, and letters of intent from international FMCG firms.
Earthodic has additionally expanded its provide chains within the US, with manufacturing companions at a number of websites able to industrial scale manufacturing.
Earthodic CEO Anthony Musmeci welcomed the assist of main sustainability and local weather VCs in Australia, the US and Asia.
“With Earthodic’s enlargement to the USA and manufacturing partnerships, we’re actually excited to roll out our sustainable barrier coatings with packaging firms and family manufacturers,” he mentioned.
“Serving to them obtain a lot of their sustainability objectives and eradicate non-recyclable packaging waste is the mission that drives our crew.”
Jenn Burka from FTW Ventures mentioned Earthodic had impressed them with their technical ability, gross sales tenacity and operational considering in tackling sustainable packaging.
“We imagine that making bio-based barrier coatings at scale is an important step in lessening our reliance on plastic based mostly packaging, and Earthodic’s potential to utilise supplies that might have in any other case been wasted is a superb instance of how the round economic system can actually obtain a double backside line,” she mentioned.