UK-based materials innovation company Xampla has secured $14 million in funding to accelerate the development and deployment of its plant-based alternative to single-use plastics. The investment, led by Emerald Technology Ventures, BGF, and Matterwave Ventures, is expected to support the replacement of over ten billion units of single-use plastic over the next five years. Xampla is addressing the global plastic crisis by developing Morro materials, a natural polymer alternative made from plant proteins that are biodegradable and home compostable. These materials are already being adopted in various industries, such as food delivery and catering, to replace plastic coatings on food boxes and PVA films in products like dishwasher tablets.

Xampla's CEO, Alexandra French, sees this new round of funding as a key step in scaling the company's operations and expanding its reach into the Asia Pacific region. With the potential to replace ten billion pieces of single-use plastic within the next five years, Xampla's Morro materials offer a sustainable solution to a major environmental problem. Investors like Emerald Technology Ventures see significant potential in Xampla's technology, recognizing it as a big solution to a big problem that can lead to substantial rewards.