Sway

Umaro Foods Sway bioplastic

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Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Umaro and Sway Receive $1.5M Dept. of Energy Grant to Turn Seaweed Waste into Sustainable Bioplastics

Bay Area companies Umaro Foods and Sway have been awarded a $1.5 million grant by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to advance innovations in seaweed-based materials. The funding, part of the DOE’s Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity (MACRO) program, will support efforts to convert alginate, a byproduct of seaweed protein production, into sustainable bioplastics. The partnership leverages the strengths of both startups. Umaro specializes in extracting protein from seaweed for use in plant-based foods, such as its red seaweed-derived bacon, for which it raised $3.8M earlier this year. This process produces alginate-rich sidestreams that will be repurposed by Sway, which develops compostable bioplastics using its TPSea™ resin technology. The collaboration seeks to address two key sustainability challenges: reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, and …

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Sway has introduced TPSea, a biopolymer resin made from seaweed and plants to replace plastic pellets in single-use packaging manufacturing.

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Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

Sway Launches Seaweed Pellets to Replace Single-Use Plastics at Scale, Following $5M Funding Round

California-based Sway, a startup creating biodegradable alternatives to plastic, has introduced Thermoplastic Seaweed (TPSea), a “breakthrough” biopolymer resin made from seaweed and plants to replace plastic pellets in single-use packaging manufacturing.  The launch follows a successful $5 million seed round led by Third Nature Investments. The Helm, Alante Capital, BAM Ventures, Superorganism, and other investors also backed Sway in this round. The funds will help Sway expand its product portfolio and fuel marketing initiatives targeted at the fashion, food, and home goods sectors to accelerate product adoption. “We believe everyday materials should help to replenish the planet from sea to soil. The launch of our thermoplastic seaweed materials, along with an influx of new capital targeted at scaling production, signifies tangible progress toward a more circular …

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Sway Biomaterials Plastic Bag

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Materials

Sway is Creating a Biodegradable, Seaweed-Based Solution to the World’s Plastic Crisis

In 2023, the world’s addiction to plastic became more urgent than ever, with the United Nations issuing a report that declared plastic pollution had become a global emergency. With 1 trillion pounds of plastic produced each year, and less than 10% of that recycled, finding a plastic-free solution to packaging has become one of the most critical environmental issues of our time.  Enter Sway, a US biomaterials startup using polymers found in seaweed to replace petroleum-based plastic while regenerating the Earth’s ecosystems.  Founded by Julia Marsh, Matt Mayes, and Leland Maschmeyer, Sway is not the first startup to utilize seaweed to replicate plastic, but their products are certainly some of the most impressive. According to Sway, it harnesses extracted polymers known as “phycocolloids” to produce …

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