Epoch Biodesign, a London-based startup using enzymes to make recycled plastics cheaper and higher performing than virgin materials, today announced it has raised €17 million in Series A capital in an oversubscribed round.
The financing round was led by Extantia Capital, with participation from Inditex, Lowercarbon Capital, Happiness Capital, Kibo Invest, Day One Ventures and others, alongside a €929k grant from the UK government.
The funding will be used to build their first plant, expand their library of plastic-eating enzymes and begin serving textile customers from the fashion, automotive, and chemicals industries. The company aims to process tens of thousands of tonnes of waste by 2028.
“We’re proving that plastic waste isn’t just a problem to solve – it’s a valuable resource waiting to be unlocked,” said Jacob Nathan, Founder and CEO of Epoch Biodesign. “Using the molecular precision of enzymes at an industrial scale, we’re building the solution set to make all plastics recyclable and doing so at a competitive price. This is what real circularity looks like.”
Founded in 2019, Epoch Biodesign combines AI, robotic automation, and advanced synthetic biology to engineer enzymes that efficiently transform waste plastics into valuable chemicals. While the world drowns in plastic, Epoch is building the foundation of a waste-free future.
The company’s mission was sparked by Nathan’s high school science project that explored how microbes could break down plastic waste. Under his leadership, the company has grown to a team of 30 scientists and engineers in London. So far, Epoch has raised €31.5 million in total funding.
Epoch’s enzymes can break down tough plastics in a process similar to how leaves decompose in soil. Using AI and automated screening technology, they’ve created enzymes that transform mixed waste into valuable chemical products at room temperature.
In addition, Inditex and Epoch are working together through a multi-year joint development agreement in order to ensure the technology’s ability to meet their rigorous performance standards.
“Epoch’s innovative and promising technology has impressive potential to revolutionise blended textile recycling,” said Óscar García Maceiras, CEO of Inditex. “This investment strengthens our commitment to advancing an innovative, circular model and driving the industry’s transition toward low-impact materials.”
According to Epoch, traditional mechanical recycling struggles with mixed plastics, and lowers the quality of the polymer with each cycle. Chemical recycling requires high temperatures, in some cases above 500°C, making it energy-intensive and expensive. As a result, most recycled plastics end up as lower-value products destined for landfills within years.
With plastic production set to as much as triple in the next 35 years, this challenge is only growing. Epoch’s biorecycling technology recovers the material’s value, creating high-quality chemicals at price parity with fossil carbon-derived alternatives. For apparel brands, Epoch’s technology is a potential solution for switching to recycled materials, helping companies meet strict recycling mandates whilst lowering raw material costs.
“Plastic has a bad reputation, but the problem isn’t the material — it’s how we use and dispose of it. When designed, sourced, and recycled responsibly, plastic can be one of the most efficient and sustainable materials we have. And that’s what Epoch is doing,” said Yair Reem, Partner at Extantia. “They aren’t just developing better recycling – they’re transforming the entire value chain to ensure it works for the planet, not against it.”