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Sparxell

Seed

Sparxell develops the world's first 100% natural, high-performance biodegradable color platform, producing sustainable pigments and visual effects from plant-based cellulose. Inspired by the structural color mechanisms found in birds and butterflies, the company's technology harnesses naturally reflective cellulose crystals to create vibrant, biodegradable colored materials without relying on toxic chemicals.…

Chemicals and Materials Tech · Chemicals Tech · Cambridge, United Kingdom · EST 2022

About

Sparxell develops the world's first 100% natural, high-performance biodegradable color platform, producing sustainable pigments and visual effects from plant-based cellulose. Inspired by the structural color mechanisms found in birds and butterflies, the company's technology harnesses naturally reflective cellulose crystals to create vibrant, biodegradable colored materials without relying on toxic chemicals. Sparxell's pigments eliminate mica (associated with child labor), titanium dioxide (health risks), and synthetic dyes (pollution), achieving the highest naturality index while maintaining performance parity with conventional alternatives. The pigments find application across cosmetics and personal care, fashion and accessories, packaging, food and beverages, decoration, film and foil, paint and coatings, and art and craft. The company differentiates itself through its biomimetic approach to color generation, full biodegradability from sourcing to end-of-life, and validation at scale with textile manufacturers. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Sparxell has raised approximately $8.2 million in a Seed round backed by investors including the Circular Innovation Fund, L'Oreal, PDS, Future Communities, Katapult, Joyance Partners, SNOCAP, Earth Venture Capital, Granatus Ventures, and Eurazeo.

Business model

Chemicals Tech > Green Chemicals > Dyes and Pigments > Pigments

Team background

College Wise > University of Cambridge

Institutional investors

Circular Innovation FundL'OrealPDSFuture CommunitiesKatapultJoyance PartnersSNØCAPEarth Venture CapitalGranatus VenturesEuropean Innovation CouncilSWEN Capital PartnersAlpha StarUniversity of Cambridge

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