Zerocircle Raises INR 20 Crore Seed Funding to Offer Seaweed-Based Alternatives to Plastic

Zerocircle, a Pune-based biotech company pioneering seaweed-based alternatives to petro-plastics, has announced the closure of its INR 20 crore seed funding round. The funding was led by climate-focused investors like Rainmatter Capital, 1Crowd, and acclaimed environmental advocate Trudie Styler.

Additional investors supporting Zerocircle’s vision include Trousdale Sarosphere LLC, VC Grid, 7th Gen Ventures, Spectrum Impact, and LNB Group. This milestone solidifies Zerocircle’s position as a frontrunner in the green-tech ecosystem, producing fully biodegradable and home-compostable materials that eliminate harmful microplastics.

Neha Jain, founder and managing director of Zerocircle, said, “Our nature-based materials challenge the status quo and address more than visible plastic pollution. With anti-plastic policies driving demand for sustainable solutions, this funding empowers us to deliver cost-effective, high-performing alternatives that help conscious brands thrive.”

Over the past four years, Zerocircle has patented a technology for manufacturing seaweed-based materials using existing industrial infrastructure. This is a transformative step for scaling sustainable biomaterials without requiring additional capital expenditure.

Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha and an investor through Rainmatter Capital, expressed his belief in Zerocircle’s mission. “Plastic pollution is evident all around us, even in our food and water as microplastics. Backing Zerocircle in 2021 was an easy decision given their dedication to creating biodegradable alternatives,” he said.

Zerocircle’s efforts have culminated in a commercial-grade seaweed-based coating for food packaging, which addresses markets with stringent anti-plastic regulations. With secured commercial orders from major packaging distributors and food brands, the company’s product range includes coated paperboards, food boxes, fried food containers, and bakery trays.

Looking ahead, it plans to scale its production capacity tenfold, targeting over 3,000 tons annually by 2028.