A&B Smart Materials Raises £1.5M Pre-Seed For Biodegradable Materials

The round was led by existing investor Sake Bosch, with new strategic investors Caesar and Living Hope VC, alongside participation from Archipelago Ventures, Triple Impact Ventures, Cranfield University Seed Fund, Oxford Seed Fund, and several business angels from Cambridge Capital Group and Oxford Innovation Finance.

The superabsorbent polymers (SAP) market is sizable and growing, driven primarily by demand from absorbent hygiene products such as nappies and menstrual pads, with additional applications in agriculture, medical products, construction, consumer goods, and water treatment.

Most SAPs in use today are synthetic and fossil-based. As they are not designed to biodegrade, they can persist in the environment and contribute to microplastic pollution, particularly through high-volume single-use products like disposable nappies.

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A&B Smart Materials is developing fully biodegradable alternatives to fossil-based superabsorbent polymers. By leveraging polymer science and natural feedstocks, the company is creating absorbent materials that match the performance requirements of existing products while fitting into established manufacturing processes. The approach uses modified biopolymers derived from widely available, lower-cost natural materials.

A&B Smart Materials co-founder and CTO Dr. Benjamin White emphasized that the persistence of synthetic superabsorbent polymers contributes to long-lasting pollution, including microplastics in the environment.

We intend to completely replace these products with biocompatible and biodegradable materials, without compromising on product performance or affordability.

The funding will primarily be used to accelerate R&D efforts to refine A&B’s sustainable superabsorbent polymer formulations, focusing on achieving a combination of strong performance, competitive cost and industrial-scale validation for hygiene and agricultural applications.

The company’s longer-term objective is to replace synthetic SAPs in a market projected to reach approximately $17 billion by 2035.

About A&B Smart Materials

A&B Smart Materials develops biodegradable superabsorbent polymers to replace fossil-based plastics used in hygiene, agriculture, and packaging. Its plant-based materials deliver comparable performance while naturally breaking down, eliminating long-term environmental impact and preventing microplastic pollution.