Materials innovation company, Xampla has achieved a place in the Sunday Times 100 Tech ‘Ones to Watch’.
This prestigious recognition celebrates Britain’s fastest-growing private technology companies, with Cambridge-based Xampla representing one of eight companies founded or led by women.
Xampla’s inclusion reflects its world-first technology which unlocks the power of plant polymers to create natural materials that change the world.
The technology offers a wide range of applications, including replacing plastic films, microencapsulates, and coatings.
Grounded in 15 years of protein research at the University of Cambridge, Xampla’s pioneering technology is made from natural plant polymers, without any chemical modification.
Xampla’s Morro™ materials are fully biodegradable with high-strength barrier properties and compliant with new plastic-free regulations.
It has been designed to drop-in to existing manufacturing processes, making it simple for businesses to switch to plastic-free.
Xampla’s inclusion in The Sunday Times 100 Tech comes at a time of significant growth and expanding market presence for the company.
Since announcing its first technology licensing agreement of Morro™ with the 2M Group of Companies in late 2023, the organisation has rapidly scaled up the production and distribution of Morro™ Coating, a natural alternative to plastic barrier coatings.
Last year, Xampla announced commercial partnerships with food packaging specialist, Huhtamaki, and sustainable packaging firm, Transcend Packaging, further accelerating the market entry of Morro™ Coating.
The PFAS-free material ensures paper packaging is fit-for-purpose whilst also being fully biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable.
By 2029, Morro™ Coating is projected to replace up to 25,000 tonnes of plastic coating that would otherwise be destined for landfill, incineration, or environmental release.
Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, said: “We are honoured to be recognised in The Sunday Times 100 Tech ‘Ones to Watch’ feature. We’ve experienced remarkable growth in the last twenty-four months, scaling our operations significantly through strategic commercial contracts and partnerships, including our first licensing agreement with the 2M Group, and subsequent partnerships with Huhtamaki and Transcend Packaging. Our ability to rapidly expand production and distribution of Morro™ materials has far exceeded expectations, and we look forward to driving real change in the industry and this momentum continues.
“This achievement is testament to the dedication and expertise of our team, and our innovative and scalable approach to solving the world’s pressing challenges. Being featured alongside other inspiring, female-led companies is a privilege, and we are excited to continue driving the UK’s technology sector forward.”
The ‘Ones to Watch’ feature will be published in the digital edition of The Times on Friday 17 January 2025 and in the Business section of The Sunday Times on Sunday 19 January 2025.
