Cambridge scale-up PACT raises £16m to industrialise collagen material Oval
This article covers PACT, a Cambridge-based materials company, which has raised more than £16m ($20m) in a Series A round co‑led by life‑science investor Forbion and growth investor HV Capital. The funding will scale production of Oval and commission a pilot production line to supply luxury fashion houses and other manufacturers with a natural alternative to plastic‑coated textiles.
PACT, a Cambridge-based materials company, has raised more than £16m ($20m) in a Series A round co‑led by life‑science investor Forbion and European growth investor HV Capital. The funding will scale production of Oval — a roll‑to‑roll collagen‑based material — and commission a pilot production line at PACT’s Cambridge facility, a move intended to supply luxury fashion houses and other manufacturers with a natural alternative to plastic‑coated textiles.
Why this matters
Materials start‑ups are often judged on lab innovation; the harder test is industrialisation. PACT’s raise is notable because it underwrites the transition from lab to factory: the company is investing in a pilot line designed to deliver commercial volumes of Oval and to demonstrate compatibility with existing supply chains. That promise — a scalable, drop‑in substitute for certain plasticised textiles — addresses a practical pain point for brands seeking sustainable, tactile materials that work at scale.
What Oval is and where it can be used
Oval is a roll‑to‑roll material manufactured from surplus, cosmetic‑grade collagen enriched with herbal extracts and natural oils. PACT describes the material as traceable by design and compatible with existing manufacturing processes. The company is targeting luxury maisons and lifestyle brands initially, with plans to expand into interiors, footwear and automotive applications as production ramps.
In practice, Oval aims to replicate the suppleness and handfeel of high‑end leathers and plastics while offering a natural input stream and the potential to reach cost parity at scale. PACT also highlights Oval’s design flexibility: it can be printed, embossed and coloured for a wide range of finishes and textures.
Inside the Cambridge scale‑up
The Series A proceeds have funded a new pilot line and expanded facilities at PACT’s headquarters in Cambridge. The company now operates a combined laboratory and pilot‑scale production space of more than 13,000 square feet, intended to move Oval from small production runs to commercial volumes for global partners.
Founder perspective
Dr Yudí Ding founded PACT with the goal of developing materials that combine functional performance with natural inputs and pleasing tactile qualities. The Series A gives the team resources to test Oval in commercial contexts beyond the lab.
In the announcement, Dr Yudí Ding, founder and CEO at PACT, said:
“I’ve always been obsessed with creating new materials that are not only functional and kind to the planet, but also inherently beautiful — materials that feel gentle on the skin, supple, and pleasing to touch. As a Cambridge‑trained scientist, developing them in the lab isn’t the hard part; the real challenge lies in scaling them to meet the exacting standards of the textile industry. From our very first investment, I realised that industrialisation and scalability are essential to making materials innovation truly succeed. That’s why we see existing manufacturers as key partners in this journey.”
Who’s backing the company
Forbion and HV Capital co‑led the round, with participation from PACT’s existing backers. Both firms bring different sector strengths: Forbion has a deep life‑science and bioeconomy focus and manages roughly €5bn across its strategies; HV Capital is a long‑standing European growth investor managing about €2.8bn and with a track record of supporting companies across early and growth stages.
In the announcement, Joy Faucher, Partner at Forbion, said:
“PACT has combined scientific rigour with design excellence to create a biomaterial platform that meets the highest standards of performance, sustainability and scalability. We believe Oval has the potential to redefine how global brands source and use materials, offering a credible and commercially viable alternative to plastic‑coated textiles and beyond. This Series A funding will enable PACT to scale production and meet rapidly growing demand, and we are excited to support the team as they bring their vision to market.”
In the announcement, Maxi Pethö‑Schramm, Principal at HV Capital, said:
"HV Capital is thrilled to back PACT as they redefine how sustainable consumer materials can scale in fashion and other markets. Their formulations are true drop‑in solutions‑seamlessly integrating into existing manufacturing infrastructure to replace high‑volume, revenue‑driving SKUs, not just niche capsule collections. What excites us most is Yudi and the team's rare combination of deep technical expertise and a genuine understanding of fashion customers. That blend positions PACT to lead the industry's transition at scale, not at the margins"
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How Oval fits the market
Brands are increasingly seeking substitutes for plasticised textiles that satisfy both regulatory and consumer demands for sustainability. PACT’s focus on traceability (using cosmetic‑grade surplus collagen) and a patented processing approach positions Oval as a material aimed at mid‑ and high‑volume applications, rather than limited run, experimental pieces. For manufacturers and brands, the appeal is operational: a material that can drop into existing production lines reduces the friction of adoption.
Portfolio and partners
PACT says the pilot line will enable deliveries to global partners and accelerate development of adjacent material solutions. While the company has not disclosed specific brand customers in this announcement, the stated target list — luxury fashion, interiors, footwear and automotive — signals efforts to address sectors where tactile quality and durability are commercially important.
The bigger picture for UK materials innovation
Funding that supports industrialisation — not just lab work — is a key gap in the UK and European deep‑tech ecosystem. PACT’s round underlines investor interest in materials technologies that can demonstrate manufacturing scale and seamless integration with existing supply chains. If Oval can deliver on its production and price expectations, it would be a practical example of materials R&D translating into commercial alternatives to plastics across several consumer sectors.
They've invested in PACT
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| Investor | Sector | Stage | Activity | Team | Connect |
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 Forbion | 13 investment(s) investment(s) | more info | |||
 HV Capital | 6 investment(s) investment(s) | 19 contacts contacts |
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