BERLIN, Oct. 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Synthetic biology startup Cambrium announces €8 Million in Seed financing, led by Essential Capital, along with SNR, Valor Equity Partners, and HOF Capital.

The Berlin-based company brings novel molecules with previously unseen functionalities to life, through a technology platform which combines biology and machine learning to supercharge product innovation. With its new class of sustainable, high-performance molecules, Cambrium is transforming the paradigm of toxic petrochemicals and unethical animal ingredients currently found in a staggering majority of consumer products. Bringing brands’ creative visions to reality, their molecules are enabling a new wave of essential products from skincare to apparel and footwear.

Earlier this year, Cambrium successfully launched its first molecular ingredient, NovaColl™. Designed for highly efficacious skincare, NovaColl™ is the only micro-molecular and 100% skin-identical collagen that is available on the market.

The seed funds will be used to translate the early successes of NovaColl™ into lasting impact, as Cambrium’s manufacturing and commercial activities scale towards full replacement of traditional animal-derived collagen. The funding will also accelerate the company’s product pipeline, with molecules for new applications and industries to be launched within the next two years.

Cambrium’s vision for the future is rooted in our biological past. 500 million years ago, increasing oxygen levels in the atmosphere triggered the Cambrian explosion - the largest evolutionary event in Earth’s history. In that period, the emergence of complex molecules transformed life on our planet from simple, single-celled organisms into the diversity and richness of flora and fauna that we see today. CEO Mitchell Duffy believes that Cambrium’s technology can ignite a similar molecular revolution across industries, through a proliferation of materials and products that outperform alternatives while being environmentally friendly.

“We founded Cambrium to accelerate past nature’s innovation cycle, for novel molecules that can quickly scale to material impact,” said Duffy. “I'm proud that we have been able to generate meaningful revenue with a bioindustrial ingredient at such an early, pre-seed stage, and that we’ve won support from the right investors for our next stage of growth.”

Cambrium’s platform is powered by converging advances in AI, automation, and synthetic biology, allowing for the development of innovative biomolecules for consumer applications at an unprecedented rate. Using their highly data-driven and automated approach, the company commercialized its first molecule in less than two years.

"The marriage of synthetic biology and AI is rewriting the playbook for molecular innovation,” said Ron Zori at Essential Capital, which led the funding round. “Cambrium is leading the way in this broader shift to reinvent the building blocks of industry, one molecule at a time. We believe their computational biology platform, as demonstrated by the rapid development and launch of NovaColl™, has the ability to repeatedly translate scientific innovation into high-performance, sustainable molecules supporting a variety of sectors, and we’re thrilled to be part of this journey."

Cambrium has raised €11M to date, with prior funding from Merantix. The company actively seeks vibrant, intrepid and purpose-driven individuals to join their mission to make materials that matter. Roles are available across key commercial, operational, and technical positions, with more information at: www.cambrium.bio.

About Cambrium:

Cambrium’s mission is to accelerate the shift towards a bio-based economy using its molecular design technology. Cambrium designs, scales and manufactures novel, high performance molecular building blocks for use in personal care, fashion, and beyond. Cambrium’s interdisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs are on a quest to unlock the power of proteins. Designed at the molecular level, Cambrium’s building blocks provide previously inaccessible functionalities, enabling innovators to create products that are better for people, and the planet.