Seaweed-based packaging startup B’ZEOS has secured a seed round led by Faber and ICIG Ventures, the investment arm of the industrial holding ICIG, bringing its total raised equity and grant funding to over €5 million.
The round contributes to previous funding from Biotope by VIB, Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), and several private and public grants from various entities, including the Research Council of Norway, Global Seaweed Coalition, Innovation Norway, and the Eureka Network’s Eurostars programme.
“We are providing an industry-ready, scalable alternative for packaging manufacturers globally”
With headquarters in Switzerland and R&D offices in Barcelona, Spain, B’ZEOS will use the new capital to scale its fully compostable materials to meet the rapidly growing demand for sustainable alternatives to plastic.
Rita Sousa, Partner at Faber, shared, “As global demand for sustainable packaging solutions accelerates, we’re excited to partner with B’ZEOS and support their mission of transforming the packaging industry at scale.”
Robust and versatile solutions
The seed round and strategic partnerships with Faber and ICIG Ventures will help B’ZEOS accelerate product development, meet industry demands, and initiate commercial production for corporate partners.
B’ZEOS says it has successfully conducted five paid pilots with partners including Nestlé and plans to expand these initiatives to demonstrate the “value of its solution” and, if possible, establish a “test shop” with its partners.” With the new funds, B’ZEOS aims to advance its technology readiness level (TRL) from TRL7 to TRL8.
Dr. Pelin Yilmaz, Investment Director at ICIG Ventures, commented, “We were impressed by B’ZEOS’ tech-oriented team. Their industry expertise enables them to understand the sustainability needs and requirements of the packaging sector, creating solutions that are both robust and versatile.”
An industry-ready, scalable alternative
Guy Maurice (CEO) founded B’ZEOS in 2018 to make natural materials from globally abundant seaweed, which offers rapid growth without using land or freshwater and possesses CO2 sequestration abilities.
Over the years, the green-tech company has developed fully bio-based, home-compostable materials compatible with current production lines. The materials are suitable for various industries and are said to deliver the functionality of plastic, allowing them to replace millions of tons of conventional plastic packaging discarded each year.
Maurice stated that B’ZEOS is well-positioned to lead the sustainable packaging industry with its innovative materials, bolstered by strategic partnerships and recent funding. He added, “We’ve developed a truly sustainable seaweed-based packaging solution, derived from a variety of seaweed species. We’re not just focused on developing an eco-friendly solution; we are providing an industry-ready, scalable alternative for packaging manufacturers globally.”
