Why this matters

Plastic production has been growing massively in the last decades - from 2 million tons in 1950, to 475 million tons in 2022 – and is projected to be 1200 million tons by 2060. Less than 10% of it is recycled, and we now have 8000 million tons of plastic waste polluting the planet.¹

Particularly worrying are single-use plastic products (SUPs), which are used once, or for a short period of time, before being thrown away. The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU.  

Fortunately, the world is not standing still: we observe a growing and sustained demand for sustainable packaging over time – driven by both consumers and corporate ambitions. Regulation is also coming: the EU, for example, is aiming to become a forerunner in the global fight against marine litter and plastic pollution with the Single-use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). While EU countries are at different stages of receiving such directives, we believe that overall, they do represent a strong incentive to switch to alternatives to traditional packaging.

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Why Xampla

We believe Xampla is a forerunner in the provision of sustainable packaging technologies, in Europe and beyond.

Their first line of Morro™ materials offers a world-first natural polymer alternative to plastics, biodegradable and home compostable. Made from abundant and natural plant protein feedstocks, including peas, rapeseed and sunflower, the materials are completely PFAS and plastic-free, and exempt from the European Union’s SUPD.

Unlike plastic, Morro™ Coating maintains the recyclability of cardboard without compromising on grease, oxygen and moisture barrier properties and can be used e.g. in different sorts of food packaging.

The company’s Morro™ films on the other hand are soluble, giving them the potential to replace polluting plastic PVA films in dishwasher tablets and laundry pods. They are also food-safe and can be used as edible replacements for packaging a wide range of single-serve products, from sweets to soups.

Xampla´s technology is based on 15 years of research at CambridgeUniversity and revolves around the ability to re-assemble off-the-shelf plant proteins into super molecular structures with the required mechanical and thermal properties.  

It is however no longer only in the lab: through partnerships with major industry players such as 2M Group of Companies, DIC, Huhtamaki and Transcend Packaging, Xampla has already replaced polluting coatings on boxes used by food delivery giant Just Eat Takeaway and Bunzl Catering Supplies.

The company is led by an impressive and diverse team of both technical experts and industry professionals, who are from our perspective best positioned to scale the company to become a market leader of sustainable coatings and films.  

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What’s next

The EUR 12m total Series A financing round was led by a syndicate composed by us at Matterwave Ventures, Emerald Technology Ventures and BGF, together with existing investors, among others Amadeus Capital and Horizon Capital.  

Over the next five years, the funding will see Xampla’s revolutionary Morro™ materials replace more than ten billion units of the most polluting single-use plastic, including plastic linings found in takeaway boxes, coffee cups and sachets.

We can't be more excited at the perspective of supporting the substitution of single use plastics with plant based, compostable packaging and have already started working with the management and the board to bring this closer to reality. Stay tuned!

For more information about Xampla, visit their website https://xampla.com/, or contact Ines and Lorenzo.

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[1] The Lancet, 2025:  Countdown on health and plastics