Calyxia, an industrial B2B cleantech innovator, has raised $35 million in a Series B funding round. The investment round was led by Lombard Odier Investment Managers, through its Plastic Circularity Fund and Bpifrance, through its Large Venture Fund, with strong support from existing investors including Astanor, which backed Robovision and Monarch Tractor.
Funds utilisation
This new capital will enable Calyxia to achieve profitability, deploy its innovative manufacturing technology worldwide, and establish itself as the leader in a market exceeding $10 billion by 2030.
To be specific, with this funding and the France 2030 program, Calyxia plans to expand its commercial and industrial operations, beginning with the establishment of new headquarters and a second production site in the Paris Region by Q1 2025. This new facility will increase production capacity to 3,000 tonnes per year. This will pave the way for the company to achieve profitability and establish its position as the market leader.
What role does it play?
Microplastics are polluting everything worldwide from soils, rivers, and beaches to the oceans of the Arctic. What’s worse is these are getting inside human bodies and brains. There are conventional production methods that materials and chemical industries deploy but these can result in several environmental issues. However, there is a need to implement green industrial manufacturing processes to safeguard the environment for future generations.
This is where Catyxia comes into the picture. The company works with the mission to become the global leader in the microparticles and microcapsules categories in the next five to ten years.
Combats microplastic pollution
Founded in 2015 by a group of scientists from Harvard University (USA), ESPCI-Paris PSL (France), and Cambridge University (UK) – Jamie Walters, Damien Demoulin, Prof. Jerome Bibette, and Prof. David Weitz. Calyxia is an Industrial B2B CleanTech Innovator, certified B Corp, that has developed a proprietary and eco-designed manufacturing technology to produce the world’s first advanced performance and sustainable microparticle and microcapsule products.
The company installed and qualified its first fully operational factory in 2023. It has secured commercial partnerships for mass-volume industrial applications with leading companies in the agriculture, consumer care, and advanced materials markets.
“Our customers are eager to reduce the environmental impact of their products, but they often face trade-offs with performance and profitability, which hinders widespread adoption,” said Jamie Walters, CEO and Co-Founder of Calyxia. “This investment will accelerate the widespread deployment of our products, allowing manufacturers to reduce plastic pollution and GHG emissions, whilst boosting their product performance and profitability, unlocking impact at scale.”
Investors’ views
Christopher Tritten, Head of Private Assets and CIO at Lombard Odier Investment Managers added: “We are thrilled to support Calyxia through the Lombard Odier Plastic Circularity Fund. Their groundbreaking technology offers an innovative approach to tackling microplastic pollution, and we believe they have the potential to scale and become a leader in the sector. This aligns perfectly with our commitment to investing in companies that are building a more sustainable future.”
Cindy Ung, Investment Director at Bpifrance Large Venture, commented: “Bpifrance, through its Large Venture Fund, is very proud to support Calyxia in this new stage of its development. Calyxia is at the forefront of creating solutions that enhance product performance while addressing global carbon and plastic pollution. We are confident that the company will become a leader in its field, contributing to France’s reindustrialisation plan supported by Bpifrance.”
Hans Marteau, Managing Partner at Astanor, added: “At Astanor, we are dedicated to backing visionary companies that are redefining the future of agrifood tech and sustainability. Calyxia’s groundbreaking microcapsule technology not only addresses the urgent challenges of microplastic pollution and GHG emissions but also offers transformative solutions for the Agriculture sector. By enhancing product performance and sustainability across multiple industries, Calyxia is at the forefront of creating a more sustainable and profitable future. We are proud to continue our support as they scale their innovative solutions globally.”
