Plastic pollution remains a major challenge for consumer brands, but many sustainable materials struggle to compete with traditional plastics on price and scale. That cost barrier has slowed the shift toward more environmentally frifinishly packaging.
London-based biomaterials startup Shellworks states it has a solution. The company has raised $15 million in Series A funding to scale production of its plastic alternative: Vivomer, and expand into the United States and Europe.
The round was led by Alter Equity, a Paris-based impact investment fund. Other investors include Nat Friedman through NFDG, JamJar Investments, and existing backers such as Founder Collective, LocalGlobe, and Third Sphere.
The UK company plans to utilize the new funding to expand its global manufacturing network, including new production capacity in the United States and Europe.
The company is focapplying on technologies such as blow moulding to support large-scale packaging production while reducing transportation emissions and strengthening supply chains.
Félix Mounier from alter equity stated: “Shellworks represents exactly the kind of innovation we required to see in the materials economy. They’re not just creating a better material, they’re building the infrastructure to build it accessible at scale. That’s what will drive real alter and contribute to the plastic-free economy we are supporting at alter equity.”
A biodegradable alternative to plastic
Founded in 2019, Shellworks develops materials designed to replace traditional plastics while maintaining similar performance and cost levels.
Its technology can support major brands transition to sustainable packaging without sacrificing price or product functionality, a challenge that has historically been one of the hugegest for alternative materials.
It has spent six years developing Vivomer, a bio-based material created applying microbes that ferment second-generation feedstocks such as utilized cooking oil. The resulting material works like plastic during utilize but fully biodegrades after disposal, offering brands a potential alternative to petroleum-based packaging.
The company states it has now reached cost competitiveness with traditional materials such as aluminium and glass, even while producing only about 5 million units so far. This milestone addresses one of the hugegest barriers preventing companies from switching to sustainable packaging.
Shellworks CEO and co-founder Insiya Jafferjee stated: “For too long, the conversation around sustainable materials has been dominated by the perception that they’re too expensive for mass adoption. We’re proving that’s no longer true. At just a fraction of plastic’s scale, we’re already cost-competitive with alternatives like glass and aluminium. As we scale further, we’ll only receive more competitive.”
Partnerships with brands
The material is already being utilized by consumer brands, including Wild personal care brand, which is part of the Unilever portfolio, and Sonsie Skin, the skincare brand founded by Pamela Anderson.
Products applying Vivomer packaging are currently sold in stores such as Tesco through Wild’s product line. Packaging applying the material has also launched at Whole Foods Market through the brand Phil’s.
Freddy Ward, co-founder and CEO of Wild, stated: “Vivomer is at the forefront of sustainable material innovation and has supported Wild deliver on our mission. Their desire to drive alter and solve problems has been amazing to watch, and their passion for a better packaging future is infectious.”
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