Sustainable Biomaterials Startup Cambrium Secures Earth VC Investment

Earth Venture Capital partners with Berlin-based Cambrium to accelerate sustainable biomaterials innovation, building “materials that matter.”

Vietnam-based Earth Venture Capital (Earth VC), a global venture capital firm focused on climate-positive investments, has announced its participation in Cambrium’s Seed extension round, led by Gradient Ventures (Google’s AI-focused venture fund).

This investment highlights Earth VC’s commitment to advancing solutions that tackle urgent environmental issues through the evolution of biomaterials. Other investors in the round include Leblon Capital, SeaX Ventures, and DG Daiwa.

Why We Invested: Catalysing the Biomaterials Movement

Cambrium is pioneering protein-based materials as a transformative foundation for sustainable production. By harnessing biotechnology and generative AI, Cambrium creates biodegradable, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional petrochemical materials. This aligns seamlessly with Earth VC’s mission of backing breakthrough technologies to build a sustainable future, embodied by Cambrium’s philosophy of “Microbes, not Mines; Fermenters, not Factory-farms; and Proteins, not Petrochemicals.”

Demand for eco-friendly materials is increasing and is driven by real-world applications and targeted product opportunities. Cambrium has already made strides with products like NovaColl™, a precision-fermented collagen identical to human skin, slated for launch in September 2024.

The company is also collaborating with a synthetic leather manufacturer to develop plastic-free leather alternatives for the fashion industry, which is expected by 2025. These innovations align with changing consumer preferences and meet stricter chemical regulations, positioning Cambrium strongly in the growing biomaterials market, valued at USD 82 billion in 2023 and projected to grow at a 13.4% annual rate through 2030.

Beyond these ventures, Cambrium is actively developing new products for hair care, textile coatings in fashion, and nutraceuticals, targeting substantial market opportunities over the next two to three years.

Cambrium’s Key Milestones

Since its founding in 2020, Cambrium has rapidly scaled, securing €3M in pre-seed funding followed by €8M in a seed round. The latest seed extension will further support the expansion of its flagship product, NovaColl™.

Notably, Cambrium has been featured among Berlin’s top 10 startups and Europe’s top 100 hottest startups by WIRED, reinforcing its vision to reshape sustainable ingredients through AI and biotechnology.

Mitchell Duffy, Co-founder & CEO of Cambrium, shared

We’re thrilled to have Earth VC onboard as a partner. This support is essential as we expand our customer base in Southeast Asia, furthering our mission to create ‘materials that matter.

Cambrium’s Team: Experts in Biotechnology

Cambrium’s team boasts a wealth of expertise in biotechnology and material sciences. CEO Mitchell Duffy holds a PhD in molecular imaging and extensive experience in synthetic biology. Co-founder Charles Cotton, PhD, has a background in structural biology.

The team is further strengthened by advisors from leading biotech companies like Impossible Foods and Checkerspot, giving Cambrium the experience needed to drive sustainable biomaterials innovation to market.

Earth VC’s Vision: Scaling Sustainable Materials

For Earth VC, investing in Cambrium is a strategic move to reduce the environmental footprint of materials production.

Tien Nguyen, Founding Partner at Earth VC, stated

Investing in Cambrium is a direct investment in the future of sustainable materials—a sector projected to reach $138 billion by 2030. Traditional materials are responsible for 23% of global emissions, so disrupting this space is imperative.

Cambrium’s protein-based solutions are the breakthrough needed to decarbonise industries at scale. It’s rare to see a company working with 900 million protein structures and 100 design metrics—this is the bold innovation Earth VC stands behind.

Cambrium’s Next Chapter

The latest funding will enable Cambrium to expand its production capabilities through contract manufacturers, advance product development in the fashion and nutraceutical sectors, and forge strategic partnerships for commercialisation. By 2025, Cambrium will introduce plastic-free leather alternatives and hydrophobic coatings, establishing itself as a leader in the biomaterials market across various industries.

Earth VC’s investment underscores its commitment to fostering impactful solutions for a sustainable future. As Cambrium advances, Earth VC will be critical in supporting its expansion across Asia and international markets.