Zerocircle Secures Funding for Sustainable Packaging Innovations
Materials science company Zerocircle has successfully raised Rs 5 crore in a pre-Series A funding round co-led by 3one4 Capital and Rainmatter Capital, alongside other investors. Based in Pune, the company previously obtained Rs 20 crore ($2.3 million) in another funding round led by Rainmatter, founded by Nithin Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha. This earlier round also saw investments from early-stage venture capital firms such as 1Crowd, VC Grid, 7th Gen Ventures, and environmental advocate Trudie Styler, among others.
Zerocircle’s Commitment to Sustainable Packaging Solutions
The funding will be directed towards advancing its deeptech research and scaling efforts, with a key focus on using natural polymers and compounds to replace plastic in food and consumer packaging. Founded in 2020 by Neha Jain, Zerocircle aims to create packaging alternatives based on seaweed that can effectively replace harmful petrochemical materials.
Product Offerings and Environmental Impact
Zerocircle’s product range includes coated packaging for hamburger boxes, fried food containers, bakery packaging, and food trays. These materials are developed to eliminate toxic plastics and mitigate microplastic pollution affecting humans, soil, air, and oceans.
Target Markets and Regulations
The company targets high-volume packaging segments where traditional materials such as polyethylene (PE) and PLA encounter issues related to performance, recyclability, or regulatory standards. These areas encompass foodservice and quick-service restaurant (QSR) packaging, coated paper and board, hot and cold beverage cups, grease-resistant food wraps, and biopolymer pellet applications. Collectively, these segments represent a considerable share of global demand while actively seeking scalable, plastic-free alternatives.
Market Insights
Research indicates that the global packaging industry is valued at over $1.1 trillion, with the market for sustainable alternatives expected to rise to between $530–560 billion by 2030.
Expansion Plans of Zerocircle
Zerocircle aims to expand in regions experiencing heightened regulatory pressure and increasing customer demand for plastic-free packaging, which includes Europe, the UK, Oceania, and India. The company collaborates closely with distributors, converters, and food service partners to implement its materials in high-volume applications such as food packaging and coated paper products.
Upcoming Innovations
According to Zerocircle, a new range of barrier coatings is set to launch soon, including water-resistant coated paperboards, heat-sealable coatings suitable for applications such as cutlery pouches in hospitality, and coated low-GSM paper for food wraps and liners.
Impact Achieved So Far
During the past year, Zerocircle has reported the replacement of approximately 1.6 million plastic food containers, with successful deployments across India, the Netherlands, and the Benelux region of Europe.