Naturbeads secures €4.1m seed to produce cellulose microspheres replacing plastic microbeads
This article covers Naturbeads, a Bath-based biotech startup, which has received £3.56m (€4.1m) in a seed funding round from the European Structural Fund to help build a production plant in Puglia and fund related R&D as it moves toward commercialisation. The funding aims to support scale-up of cellulose-based biodegradable microspheres intended as a drop-in alternative to plastic microbeads, affecting manufacturers in cosmetics, paints, detergents and other sectors and supporting efforts to reduce microplastic pollution.
Bath-based Naturbeads, a biotech startup, has received £3.56m (€4.1m) in a seed funding round from the European Structural Fund to help build a production plant in Puglia, southern Italy and cover related R&D as it moves toward commercialisation. The funding will partially reimburse construction costs for the new facility run via its subsidiary Naturbeads Italia Srl and supports the company’s push to replace plastic microbeads with a biodegradable, cellulose-based alternative.
Why it matters
Microplastic microparticles are embedded in many consumer and industrial products, from scrubs and makeup to paints and detergents, and are increasingly targeted by regulation across Europe. Naturbeads’ cellulose microspheres aim to offer a drop-in substitute that biodegrades, potentially reducing microplastic pollution entering waterways and food chains. The timing of the funding matters because new EU rules phasing in between 2027 and 2035 will restrict the use of microplastics in a range of cosmetic products, creating a clearer market for alternatives.
Inside the product
Naturbeads uses a patented process to refine cellulose into uniform, spherical microspheres intended to match the performance of plastic microbeads. The company says the material can be used in cosmetics, paints, detergents, coatings, leather processing, adhesives, softeners and even certain biomedical devices. Production has already started at the new plant and Naturbeads plans to complete remaining sections and ramp up output in June as it prepares to serve waiting customers.
In the announcement, Giovanna Laudisio, CEO at Naturbeads, said:
Due to its versatility and durability, tiny microspheres of plastic are a popular ingredient in a range of everyday products
In the announcement, Giovanna Laudisio, CEO at Naturbeads, said:
We’ve already reached a key milestone by successfully starting production in our plant. Our current focus is to complete the startup of different sections of the plant so that in June we can ramp up production and start serving our customers around that world that are waiting for our product.
Who are the investors?
The funding comes from the European Structural Fund, an EU programme that allocates grants to regional economic and social development projects. Naturbeads will use the £3.56m (€4.1m) to partially reimburse the Puglia plant’s construction and to support R&D as the company scales toward full commercialisation over the next two years.
The award reflects the type of public backing available to industrial innovation projects in selected EU regions. Puglia was cited for its young, educated workforce and increasing focus on business development, innovation and digital transition, factors that underpinned the regional case for support.
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Founder perspective
Laudisio frames Naturbeads’ approach as attacking the problem at source while preserving performance and cost parity with plastics. She has emphasised both environmental and market drivers, pointing to the ubiquity of microscopic plastic particles in consumer products and the regulatory tailwinds that will raise demand for substitutes.
In the announcement, Giovanna Laudisio, CEO at Naturbeads, said:
We’re nature’s fix to using microplastics as we tackle the problem at source while maintaining the same performance and cost as plastics
The bigger picture
The grant to Naturbeads sits at the intersection of industrial decarbonisation, circular materials and regulatory-driven demand for safer inputs. As the EU phases in bans on microplastics in rinse-off cosmetics from October 2027 and broader restrictions thereafter, manufacturers will need replacements that meet performance, cost and regulatory requirements. Public funding instruments such as the European Structural Fund are increasingly being used to de-risk facility build-outs for sustainable materials.
This announcement is also a reminder that UK-founded startups continue to compete for and attract European public funding when operating subsidiaries are based in EU regions, a dynamic that will remain relevant as regulatory changes create cross-border market opportunities for sustainable-materials companies across Europe.
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