As the UK cements its reputation as a global leader in sustainable innovation, investment in next-generation solutions has soared to £4.5 billion in 2024. This surge comes as the world marks World Environment Day, with this year’s theme —“Beat Plastic Pollution” — spotlighting the urgent need for transformative action. UK startups are rising to the challenge, pioneering breakthroughs from advanced materials to AI-powered environmental monitoring. Notably, Treefera’s recent funding round underscores the momentum behind technologies tackling deforestation and ecosystem restoration.
At Tech Funding News, we’ve chronicled the ascent of visionary ventures redefining everything from food systems to plastics, echoing the drive seen in our recent funding highlights and deep dives into sustainable innovation. Here, we present the UK’s 2025 power list: startups whose founders, technology, and funding are setting new benchmarks for what’s possible for the planet.
Xampla
Founded in 2018 by Dr Marc Rodriguez Garcia and Professor Tuomas Knowles, Xampla is a materials innovation company developing high-performance materials made from plants. A spinout from the University of Cambridge, Xampla’s patented technology builds on 15 years of protein research to create plastic-free, fully biodegradable and home compostable materials that break down naturally without polluting the environment.
The company’s innovation lies in using natural proteins to produce films, coatings, and microcapsules without chemical modification. Its lead product, Morro™ Coating, is a plastic-free, PFAS-free barrier material for food packaging that is fully biodegradable, compostable and compatible with standard recycling processes, making it a sustainable drop-in replacement for conventional fossil-based coatings.
Xampla operates a licensing model and manufactures at scale through partners like the 2M Group of Companies. It has secured over £16 million from Parkwalk Advisors, among other investors, in funding and forged partnerships with major brands including Huhtamaki, Transcend, Just Eat Takeaway, Britvic, Gousto, and ELEMIS.
Led by CEO Alexandra French and CTO Dr. Marc Rodriguez Garcia, Xampla is scaling its materials platform across packaging, personal care, and functional foods, positioning itself as a pioneer in the global shift to natural polymers.
Barocal
Founded in 2019 by Professor Xavier Moya, Barocal is a deep tech start-up harnessing the potential of solid-state materials to develop groundbreaking heating and cooling technologies that can reshape entire industries. This Cambridge-based spinout’s advanced materials stem from 15 years of research at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy.
The company utilises organic barocaloric materials that undergo significant temperature shifts when exposed to pressure changes, which generate the barocaloric effect. Composed of inexpensive, non-toxic elements, Barocal’s advanced solid refrigerants do away with harmful refrigerant gases that significantly contribute to global warming. Barocal is committed to transforming the heating and cooling sector, which represent 40% of global energy usage. Their technology serves as a drop-in replacement for conventional gas-based cooling and heating systems, boasting 2-3 times the energy efficiency of standard systems.
Barocal has secured over £3.8 million in funding, including an equity round led by Kiko Ventures (the cleantech investment arm of IP Group plc), with support from Cambridge Enterprise, Breakthrough Energy, and the European Innovation Council, and previous investors include Parkwalk Advisors. Under the guidance of founder Professor Xavier Moya, CCO Florian Schabus and CTO Dr. Giles Rodway, Barocal has evolved from laboratory research into a commercial technology platform.
Barocal aims to further scale its barocaloric technology across various industries and applications, establishing itself as a leader in the global shift towards sustainable cooling and heating solutions. The company’s mission is to combat climate change by offering cost-effective alternatives to traditional systems, while also addressing the rising global demand for cooling, projected to reach 5.5 billion units by 2050.
Moa Technology
Spun out from the University of Oxford in 2017 by Professor Liam Dolan and Dr. Clément Champion, Moa Technology is an agricultural biotech firm developing a new generation of herbicides to tackle weed resistance and protect global food security.
Moa’s proprietary discovery platform has identified over 70 novel herbicidal modes of action — an unprecedented breakthrough in a market that has seen just one new mode commercialised in the last 35 years. These innovations offer farmers tools to manage invasive weeds while supporting regenerative farming practices that preserve soil health.
Backed by $59 million from investors including Parkwalk Advisors, Oxford Science Enterprises and Lansdowne Partners, Moa is advancing field trials across North and South America, Europe, and Australasia. Its lead candidates have already shown strong efficacy against the world’s most stubborn weeds.
Moa recently signed a strategic commercial partnership with Nufarm, a global agrochemical firm. The company aims to bring its first products to market and prevent the loss of over 600 million tonnes of CO₂e and 2 million hectares of biodiversity annually.
Ionate
Founded in 2019 by Matthew Williams, Luca Mezossy-Dona, and Roberto Ricci, Ionate is a London-based deep tech company transforming power systems through AI-driven hardware and software innovations. Its patented Hybrid Intelligent Transformer (HIT) modernises outdated grid infrastructure by enabling real-time voltage regulation, harmonic filtering, and reactive power control.
Connected via the Aurora software platform, HITs turn static grids into dynamic, intelligent networks capable of integrating up to 33% more renewable energy and transmitting 25% more power without physical upgrades. This technology addresses critical bottlenecks in the global energy transition.
Ionate raised $17 million in a Series A round led by AlbionVC, with investment from In-Q-Tel, Santander InnoEnergy, and Zero Carbon Capital. Early adopters include Portuguese utility EDP and NATO’s DIANA programme.
With a footprint in Europe and plans to expand into the US and Asia, Ionate is establishing itself as a global leader in grid modernisation, supporting the $21 trillion energy transition market.
Solasta Bio
Founded in 2020 by Professor Shireen Davies in Glasgow, Solasta Bio is a biotech company developing nature-inspired bioinsecticides that offer a safe, effective, and targeted alternative to synthetic pesticides. Based on breakthrough peptide technology, Solasta’s products are designed to affect only specific pest groups, leaving pollinators and beneficial insects unharmed.
Solasta’s insecticides are fully biodegradable, non-toxic, and field-tested to be as effective as chemical counterparts without environmental harm. This precision approach addresses one of modern agriculture’s most urgent challenges: protecting crops while preserving biodiversity.
Solasta Bio raised $14 million in a Series A round led by Forbion, FMC Ventures, and Corteva Catalyst. It was awarded the Radicle Natural Plant Protection Challenge and is rapidly scaling to meet global demand in the $20 billion insecticides market.
With a growing team of bioscience and agri-tech experts, Solasta is set to redefine the future of crop protection and biodiversity conservation.
Nyobolt
Founded in 2019 by Professor Dame Clare Grey and Dr. Sai Shivareddy, Nyobolt is a battery technology company unlocking ultrafast charging for next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Drawing on over a decade of research in Cambridge, Nyobolt’s systems offer full charges in under 5 minutes and can sustain over 25,000 cycles, delivering unmatched speed, power, and durability.
Its flagship battery solutions, Nyobolt Ultra and Nyobolt Xtreme, are tailored for demanding applications from electric vehicles and robotics to AI-driven automation. In 2024, Nyobolt reported a 100x revenue growth, reaching $9 million and opening its first UK manufacturing site in Haverhill.
In April 2025, Nyobolt raised $30 million in new funding led by IQ Capital and Latitude, with participation from strategic partners including Scania Invest and Takasago Industry, bringing its total investment to $100 million. This latest round will accelerate technology development, fuel international expansion, particularly in the US, and support team growth.
Nyobolt has already secured over $150 million in contract value and is poised to triple its revenue as demand for high-power, fast-charging solutions surges across sectors like AI data centres, heavy-duty vehicles, and industrial automation
Polymateria
Image credits: Polymateria
Founded at Imperial College London in 2015 by Jonathan Sieff and Lee Davy-Martin, Polymateria is a materials science company pioneering next-generation plastics designed to biodegrade safely in the open environment without producing microplastics. Its patented Biotransformation™ technology enables everyday plastics like polyethene and polypropylene to break down naturally, while remaining fully recyclable before degradation begins.
Polymateria’s materials meet the British Standards Institution’s PAS 9017 benchmark for open-air biodegradability and are already being adopted by brands such as Puma and Pour Les Femmes. The company collaborates across the value chain to accelerate circular plastic solutions, with partners including Avient and leading packaging providers.
In April 2023, Polymateria closed a £20 million Series B funding round led by ABC Impact and Indorama Ventures, following an earlier £15 million round in 2020 led by Planet First Partners. This latest investment fuels global commercialisation and R&D expansion, supporting Polymateria’s mission to set new international standards in sustainable plastics and eliminate fugitive plastic waste from ecosystems.
Marina Tex
Image credits: Marina Tex
Founded by Lucy Hughes at the University of Sussex, MarinaTex is a sustainable packaging company creating bioplastics from fish processing waste. Its translucent material, made from discarded fish skins and natural binders, is stronger than LDPE yet breaks down in soil within six weeks, leaving no harmful residues.
The low-energy production process operates below 100°C and requires no specialised infrastructure, making it scalable and accessible. MarinaTex is ideal for single-use packaging, food wraps, and carrier bags, and has been globally recognised, including winning the 2019 James Dyson Award of £30K.
In June 2024, MarinaTex was selected as a winner of the CIWM Circular Economy Innovators Fund, receiving tailored support to accelerate growth and brand development. Under new CEO Craig Sterling, the company is actively raising investment and building strategic partnerships to establish its global presence in Scotland and scale. With these recent developments, MarinaTex is poised to redefine packaging by turning waste into a biodegradable, ocean-safe solution.
Olio
Image credits: Olio
Founded in 2015 by Tessa Clarke and Saasha Celestial-One, Olio is a next-generation technology company that uses AI-driven solutions to tackle food waste across the supply chain. Olio’s platform analyses kitchen data to predict demand, optimise inventory, and adjust menus in real time. Its drop-in solution integrates seamlessly with existing POS systems, reducing food waste by up to 60% and improving food cost margins by up to 8%.
Led by a multidisciplinary team of AI engineers and food industry veterans, Olio is building a circular food economy focused on reuse and sustainability. In September 2021, Olio raised a $43 million Series B round led by VNV Global and Lugard Road Capital, with support from DX Ventures, Accel, Octopus Ventures, and Rubio. This funding accelerates global expansion and the rollout of their Food Waste Heroes programme, which partners with major retailers and restaurants to achieve zero food waste locations.
Oxwash
Image credits: Oxwash
Founded in 2018 by former NASA engineer Dr. Kyle Grant and Oxford engineer Tom de Wilton, Oxwash is reinventing commercial laundry to be circular, carbon-neutral, and fit for a sustainable future. Its closed-loop “lagoon” facilities capture and recycle water, use biodegradable detergents, and filter out microplastics, delivering premium cleaning without the environmental damage.
Technologies like acoustic drying reduce energy use by up to 80%, while digital CO2e receipts provide transparency for customers and partners. Through its low-impact collection and delivery model, Oxwash serves universities, hospitality, and fashion brands.
In August 2022, Oxwash raised £10 million in a Series A round led by Untitled VC, with participation from high-profile investors including Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Indeed founder Paul Forster. This brings the total funding to £15.7 million. This funding is powering the expansion of Oxwash’s nationwide footprint, constructing a large-scale facility, and further developing its proprietary, decarbonised washing technology.
With ambitions to fully decarbonise laundry by 2028 and license its tech worldwide, Oxwash is setting a new standard for textile care in a zero-carbon economy.
This article is part of our editorial partnership with Parkwalk Advisors, a leading UK investor focused on commercialising breakthrough university spinouts and deep tech innovation.
