Bristol sustainable packaging startup, Kelpi, has raised over £3M in their recent seed round. This funding round was led by Science Creates Ventures and Green Angel Syndicate. This was combined with additional funding from One Planet Capital, Bristol Private Equity Club (BPEC), private angel investors, & £665k in grant funding from Innovate’s UK Combined Investor Partnership.
The funding will be used by Kelpi to execute production trials for their unique coatings for paper and cards. In the previous 2.5 years, the business has created high-performance bioplastic packaging materials made from seaweed that have a unique water barrier, oxygen barrier, grease resistance, and acid resistance.
Kelpi CEO and Co-Founder, Neil Morris, is thrilled with his company’s outlook after this funding round. He says when discussing the matter: “Kelpi can now play a key role in eliminating plastic pollution and ending our dependence on fossil fuels to create single-use packaging. We’re delighted to receive this backing from specialist deep science and sustainability investors like Science Creates Ventures and Green Angel Syndicate to allow us to accelerate our pioneering work with major food and drink companies worldwide to prove our materials at scale.”
Plastic Problems
Only 9% of all plastic debris has ever been recycled. Only 12% of the material has been burned, while the remaining 79% has been disposed of in landfills or contaminated. Currently, over 99% of plastics are made from chemicals obtained from oil, natural gas, and coal. According to the United Nations Environment Program, the plastic sector might account for 20% of global oil use by 2050.
About Kelpi 
Kelpi, founded by Neil Morris, Professor Chris Chuck, and Murray Kenneth, has created a one-of-a-kind seaweed biopolymer that can be applied as a coating to substrates such as paper and card. The packaging that results is recyclable, biodegradable, and marine-safe.
In addition to food and beverages, cosmetics, and personal care, the company services huge enterprises across the United Kingdom. At scale, Kelpi will be critical in lowering reliance on fossil fuels, addressing climate change, and influencing plastic pollution.
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