The European Innovation Council (EIC) will provide funding for PlantSea’s seaweed-based biopolymer film, DePoly’s PET and polyester recycling technology, Celwise’s moulded fibre approach, and the DEScycle metal recovery process in its latest EIC Accelerator round.
After its latest evaluation round, the EIC selected sixty-one companies from 121 proposals that reached the interview stage. These companies were chosen for their strong commercial promise and ‘transformative’ technologies.
PlantSea’s seaweed-based biopolymer film is intended as an alternative to petroleum-derived plastics like PVOH and PVA. Said to dissolve completely in warm water, it is set for use in laundry capsules, dishwashing tablets, and other large-scale FMCG packaging applications.
The material is vacuum-formable and flexible, and claims to match the performance and cost of traditional polymers – reportedly integrating seamlessly into conventional manufacturing systems. PlantSea adds that the material can be composted at end-of-life and leaves no microplastics behind.
Any waste seaweed from the film’s manufacturing process is used to replace virgin wood pulp in paper; the final product is said to be industrially compostable and recyclable in the paper stream. The company also offers an OPRL-certified, recyclable and ‘multi-sensory’ label for product packaging.
Meanwhile, DePoly proprietary technology uses commercially available household chemicals to convert post-consumer PET and polyester waste – sourced from waste streams that may not be sorted, washed, or pre-processed – into ‘virgin-grade’ PTA and PET monomers. These are intended as drop-in solutions for recycled products, including plastic bottles and cosmetics packaging.
Occurring at a low heat and pressure, the patented reaction is believed to lower CO2 emissions by up to 66% compared to virgin equivalents. Its ‘intuitive’ and automated process is also thought to reduce labour by up to 75%.
The company aims to tackle hard-to-recycle plastics, including multilayer packaging. It also aspires to negate the need to extract new oil for plastic and chemical production.
Celwise has also received funding for its patented technology – this time, an alternative approach to moulded fibre. It uses ‘thermomatrixing’, in which high temperatures are applied to ‘chase’ water out of cellulose fibres and create more consistent bonds throughout the fibre-matrix.
This approach is believed to improve the tensile strength and puncture resistance of current moulded pulp. Furthermore, it is said to increase existing production speeds by four times, use 25% to 50% less energy, and halve manufacturing costs.
According to Celwise, applying this technology to one 20cm x 14m tree yields 30,000 large moulded pulp coffee cups; 16,000 moulded pulp coffee lids; 20,000 moulded pulp hamburger boxes; and 15,000 large moulded pulp meat trays.
Additionally, DEScycle uses Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES), or non-toxic, non-water-based salts, to recover and recycled metals. This low-temperature, low-energy approach is set to help the metals industry avoid high-energy smelters, toxic chemicals, and strong acids – and to unlock value in challenging or uneconomic metals.
While some companies secured grant-only or equity-only support, 85% of beneficiaries will received blended finance – a combination of grants and equity investment. The total proposed funding adds up to €467 million, but the EIC emphasizes that the average investment per company is €3.72 million under Horizon Europe.
The grant agreements for most of the selected companies should be finalized within the next three months, with equity investments to follow based on individual companies’ development and funding strategies.
The EIC Fund manages the equity component. This is anticipated to draw additional capital from private investors, even leveraging the EIC’s contribution by a factor of three or more.
Each company to reach the interview stage will also receive the STEP Seal quality label, which helps them access complementary or alternative EU funding.
Late least year, Fych Technologies completed a funding round co-led by the EIC and announced plans to build an industrial recycling plant, which is set to convert 3,000 tonnes of post-consumer multilayer plastics into high-quality pellets annually.
After securing €4 million in funding from Horizon Europe, Notpla is leading a three-year R&D programme to develop a disposable coffee cup with a natural, home-compostable coating.
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