Sparxell, a University of Cambridge spin-out and innovator of bioinspired colour technology, has raised €4.2 million ($5 million) in pre-Series A funding to replace toxic chemicals in the €40 billion ($48 billion) global colourants market.
The round is led by SWEN Capital Partners’ Blue Ocean 2 fund, with participation from Alpha Star Capital and Cambridge Enterprise. The investment accelerates Sparxell’s transition from pilot programmes to commercial-scale manufacturing, with tonne-scale production facilities operational by 2026.
Dr Benjamin Droguet, Founder and CEO of Sparxell, says: “Our technology isn’t just an alternative – it is here to stay because it delivers superior performance due to its nature-inspired features. This funding takes us from proof of concept to production and commercial launches.”
The 2025–2026 period points to a steady flow of capital into bio-based colour, cellulose and sustainable materials technologies, providing context for Sparxell’s pre-Series A.
In January 2026, Copenhagen-based Octarine Bio added €5 million to its Series A to advance its natural pigment platform for applications including textiles and cosmetics. Earlier, in June 2025, Danish biotech Cellugy secured €8.1 million to scale cellulose-based materials designed to eliminate microplastics in personal care products, reflecting adjacent momentum around biofabricated cellulose solutions. In April 2025, Finland’s Fiberdom raised €3.5 million to commercialise plastic-free wood-fibre materials for circular applications.
Taken together, these rounds represent approximately €16.6 millioninvested into closely related sustainable materials and colour technology segments, positioning Sparxell’s funding within a broader European pattern of backing for scalable, bio-based alternatives to petrochemical-derived pigments and materials.
“We’re at an inflexion point. Brands are under pressure to eliminate synthetic toxins from their supply chains. Momentum is building in Europe around banning ‘forever chemicals’ such as PFAS. The EU microplastics ban is also now in force, while the FDA is reassessing synthetic colour additives,” adds Droguet.
Founded in 2023 by University of Cambridge scientists Dr Benjamin Droguet and Professor Silvia Vignolini, Sparxell is a colour platform technology that creates natural colour pigments, inks, glitters, sequins, and films that are reportedly plastic-free, toxin-free, and fully biodegradable.
Its patented technology uses cellulose from wood pulp, extracting and assembling cellulose crystals into structures that reflect specific wavelengths of light to create “100% plant-based structural colour” – the same principle that creates vibrantly coloured butterfly wings – eliminating petroleum-based chemicals, synthetic dyes, toxic heavy metals and minerals.
Using physical structures rather than toxic chemicals to create colour, their capabilities span pigment powders, glitters, inks, sequins, and films for applications across textiles, cosmetics, food and beverage, packaging, paint and coatings, automotive sectors and more.
According to the company, their tech outperforms synthetic alternatives whilst also reducing water use and energy consumption – as well as eliminating microplastics and chemical pollution.
Mélanie Le Guen, Investment Director, SWEN Capital Partners’ Blue Ocean strategy, shares: “Sparxell’s innovation is fully aligned with the ambition of our SWEN Blue Ocean 2 fund. By reinventing colour through a bio-based, biodegradable approach, Sparxell offers a tangible response to a major environmental challenge while enabling global industries to transition toward safer and more sustainable practices. We are delighted to accompany them in this next phase of growth.”
The textile industry alone releases 1.5 million tonnes of toxic synthetic dyes into waterways annually. And unlike synthetic dyes which persist in the environment and complicate recycling, Sparxell’s 100% cellulose pigments are biodegradable and integrate into circular economy systems fundamentally transforming end-of-life scenarios for coloured textiles and packaging.
Earlier this year, Sparxell secured a €1.9 million grant from the European Innovation Council (EIC). Sparxell also announced a collaboration with British luxury brand Patrick McDowell and launched commercially available plant-based textile inks with Positive Materials.
Chris Gibbs, Investment Director, Cambridge Enterprise, says: “This investment is an important milestone in Sparxell’s development, enabling more sustainable colourants based on natural, biodegradable pigments delivering tangible environmental benefits as the technology scales.
“We’re pleased to have worked alongside the team since their earliest stages and to continue to support them through this next phase. The team has built a great round and a great investor syndicate to take the technology global.”
The Pre-Series A funding will drive three strategic priorities:
- Scaling manufacturing to tonne-scale production
- Accelerating product certification for textiles, cosmetics, and automotive applications,
- Hiring key new staff, including for business development
Alexandre Cadain, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Alpha Star Capital, adds: “We were drawn to Sparxell’s method and leadership: Instead of trying to retrofit sustainability into existing chemistry, they rebuilt colour from first principles using a natural structure. It offers a clear answer to a long-standing industry challenge, and it works at a scale that matters.”
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/02/sparxell-raises-e4-2-million-to-scale-plant-based-colour-technology-for-fashion-and-textiles/
