Danish biotech Octarine Bio closes €12.8 million Series A for sustainable pigments

Octarine Bio has raised a total of €12.8 million in Series A funding, adding €5 million in new capital to earlier pre-Series A financing, as the Copenhagen-based biotech moves to industrialize its sustainable pigment technology. The round was backed by existing shareholders and joined by new investors including The Footprint Firm, Edaphon, Unconventional Ventures, DSM-Firmenich Ventures and Oskare Capital, alongside business angels such as Per Falholt and Steen Riisgaard. Octarine Bio develops fully bio-based pigments using precision fermentation, with its PurePalette™ platform uniquely capable of producing the full colour spectrum through a single process with low environmental impact. The fresh funding will be used to validate industrial-scale production, scale the company’s first three flagship colours, execute existing commercial partnerships, and expand product development across industries including textiles, food and beverage, and cosmetics.

Founded to address the environmental burden of conventional dyes, Octarine Bio engineers microbial systems to produce high-performance, fossil-free pigments using precision fermentation. Its proprietary platform, PurePalette™, is positioned as the industry’s only fully bio-based colour system capable of delivering the entire colour spectrum through a single production process. According to the company, the pigments combine high colour strength, stability, and performance with a proven low environmental impact, while integrating directly into existing manufacturing workflows.

The new funding will be used to validate PurePalette™ at industrial scale and support the commercial launch of Octarine’s first three flagship colours. In parallel, the company plans to execute on already signed commercial partnerships and expand product development into new application areas beyond textiles, including food and beverage, cosmetics, and other consumer industries.

“The completion of our Series A is a pivotal step for Octarine,” said Nethaji Gallage, CEO and co-founder of Octarine Bio. “It enables us to scale production of our first three flagship PurePalette™ colours, execute on commercial partnerships already in place, and expand product development of our safe and sustainable pigments into new industries. We deeply appreciate the unwavering support from our existing investors and are excited to welcome new partners who bring additional industryrelevant capabilities.”

Investors highlighted the technology’s potential to transform one of the most polluting parts of the textile value chain.

“We are thrilled to continue backing Octarine in bringing their groundbreaking technology to market,” said Jonas Ahm-Lundgren, Partner at The Footprint Firm. “The team is world-class, and the potential for biobased colour in the textile space and beyond is enormous.”

With fresh capital in place and industrial validation underway, Octarine Bio is positioning itself to become a key supplier of next-generation pigments as global brands and manufacturers look to replace fossil-based dyes with scalable, sustainable alternatives.

Anna Zimmermann, Senior Associate at Edaphon, added that PurePalette™ could play a critical role in reducing the environmental footprint of textile dyeing.

“PurePalette has the potential to drastically reduce the environmental impact of textile dyeing, one of the most polluting steps in the textile value chain. By fitting into existing dyeing processes, the pigments can be widely adopted and drive meaningful change across the industry. We are excited to support the team as they move into this next phase.”

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