London-based startup Carbon Cell has secured $1.6 million in pre-seed funding to advance its carbon-negative, plastic-free foam technology. Investors in this round include Green Angel Ventures, Counteract, HERmesa, the RCA Design and Innovation S/EIS Fund, and One Planet Capital.

Carbon Cell’s foam offers a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic foams commonly used in packaging and insulation. The company’s patent-pending technology combines natural polymers with biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More, a material produced from waste biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More. Instead of decomposing and releasing carbon dioxide, this biomass is processed into biochar, locking carbon away for centuries. The resulting foam significantly reduces environmental impact and contributes to long-term carbon sequestration.

With the new funding, Carbon Cell plans to transition from small-batch production to continuous manufacturing. This will include a series of trials aimed at validating the foam as a direct replacement for conventional plastic-based foams across multiple industries.

As part of this scaling effort, Carbon Cell will collaborate with early customers to test the foam’s performance in real-world applications, delivering thousands of product units for evaluation.

This funding round marks a significant step toward making sustainable materials more widely available and reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based plastics.