The award-winning Welsh start-up launched its new Liverpool hub this month, to disrupt the plastics market and accelerate the transition to mass-market biodegradable materials.
PlantSea, creator of regenerative biomaterials and sustainable alternatives to plastic, is emerging as an exciting leader in biodegradable and compostable materials across multiple industries.
What started as a humble lockdown project in 2020, has now grown into a scaling business, dedicated to creating innovative solutions to combat plastic pollution.
Rhiannon Rees, CEO and co-founder of PlantSea, said:
“We started as three friends on a mission, intrigued to see if we could enhance the properties of seaweed to create a natural polymer, replacing petroleum-based plastics.
“Using our scientific and marketing expertise, we successfully undertook a round of seed funding and subsequently secured a research grant through Innovate UK, which enabled us to open our first laboratory in North Wales in 2022.”
Fast forward four years and PlantSea has just been crowned as ‘Environment Winner’ in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s prestigious Emerging Technologies Competition 2025, as well as expanding into Liverpool, launching a commercial hub within one of Sciontec’s innovation centres at Liverpool Science Park (LSP).
Rhiannon explained:
“The close proximity to the Universities, the city centre location and strong business networks made LSP the perfect location for us. The office was well priced for a start-up like ours, especially given the amazing view, and there is a great atmosphere around the place.
“Sciontec has also provided us with flexibility to expand and grow within their innovation centres, something which is very important for a business like ours.”
PlantSea’s current customer base is predominantly global film manufacturers across Asia and the United States, and the choice to expand into Liverpool is also a reflection of the city’s excellent connectivity for international travel.
With a number of end customers and collaborators located in and around the north west, within the laundry capsules, dishwasher tablets and food packaging brands, PlantSea now has ambitious targets to scale up from their lab into industrial settings.
Once its latest £1.5m Seed Round is completed, PlantSea will be looking to strengthen its technical team and expand IP. This includes recruitment across their scientific, engineering, marketing and commercial teams, with roles based in both Liverpool and North Wales.
They are also keen to host Internships and Work Experience placements, to help upskill the next generation and provide real-world experience to young people who also have a desire to make a meaningful impact on the environment and create a greener future for everyone.
To find out more about PlantSea, please visit their website or follow them on LinkedIn.
