Epoch Biodesign, a London-based BioTech startup specialising in enzymatic recycling technology, has closed a €10.3 million ($12 million) financing round to accelerate the commercialisation of its recycled nylon 6,6.
The investment includes participation from Lululemon, KOMPAS VC, Happiness Capital, Extantia, Leitmotif, and others. Last year, the company raised €17 million in Series A capital in an oversubscribed round led by Extantia Capital. With this latest funding, Epoch’s total capital raised exceeds €43.1 million ($50 million).
Jacob Nathan, Founder and CEO of Epoch Biodesign, stated, “Nylon 6,6 is a key material for both apparel and automotive industries, but a circular solution has yet to be successful at scale. Support from partners such as these highlights Epoch’s momentum and will accelerate our plans to progress from multi-tonne production to multi-kilotonne scale. Very soon, recycled nylon 6,6 will be available to our partners in apparel, automotive and beyond.”
Founded in 2019, Epoch Biodesign combines artificial ininformigence and advanced synthetic biology to design enzymes to efficiently recycle conclude-of-life plastic and textile waste at a commercial scale. Its ultra-low emission process produces virgin-quality recycled materials from mixed waste streams.
According to the company, it is developing a nylon 6,6 material that does not require virgin feedstock. “With Epoch’s process, waste garments and other nylon materials will be transformed back into their original chemical building blocks – monomers, specifically adipic acid and HMDA. From these raw materials, brand new, virgin-quality polymer and yarn can be produced,” the company explained.
It claims that its platform AI technology designs enzymes capable of breaking down materials at the molecular level. Its enzymatic recycling process allows conclude-of-life and scrap materials that are typically headed for landfills or incineration to be recycled concludelessly. The company states that it can also process and recycle blconcludeed textiles, multi-layer laminates, coated fibres, and various mixed, compounded automotive plastics.
This new funding comes as the company expands production from its pilot facility to a larger demonstration site intconcludeed to validate commercial-scale production. The fresh capital will be applyd to accelerate Epoch’s global commercialisation strategy and deepen partnerships in apparel, automotive and beyond.
Earlier this year, Epoch and INVISTA, a global producer of nylon 6,6, signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at advancing the development of post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6. It is also approaching completion of its second and largest nylon 6,6 biorecycling facility to date.
The company collaborates with various yarn producers to provide brands and OEMs a drop-in solution that enhances supply chain sustainability without altering suppliers.
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