Seprify raises CHF 12.25 million to scale cellulose materials for industry

10.03.2026 17:00, Rita Longobardi

Swiss bio-materials company Seprify has raised CHF 12.25 million in Series A funding to scale the industrial supply of its cellulose-based ingredients. The financing supports the transition of the company’s platform from pilot validation to procurement-ready supply, enabling manufacturers to move from trials to repeatable sourcing and longer-term commercial agreements.

Backed by the Inter IKEA Group, Seprify has validated its cellulose platform at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7-9 through collaborations with industry partners. The company is now progressing through supplier qualification processes, early commercial contracts, and procurement discussions across sectors, including cosmetics and personal care, food and pet food, and coatings.

Seprify reports ongoing engagements with more than 100 customer organisations, ranging from product evaluations to early commercial supply. The company’s materials respond to demand for scalable, bio-based alternatives to conventional ingredients such as Titanium dioxide, widely used in coatings and other industrial applications.

The Series A round was supported by a group of strategic and financial investors experienced in industrial scale-up. Participants include Una Terra Early Growth Fund, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, and Kickfund, alongside Inter IKEA Group and other investors focused on the circular economy.

With the new capital, Seprify, a Venture Kick winner and ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups, will scale commercial production to hundreds of tonnes per year through manufacturing partners, support market rollout in its priority sectors, and advance engineering work for future industrial-scale capacity. For customers, this marks a step from testing phases toward repeatable supply and formal procurement processes.

"The Venture Kick program supported us from an early stage, where every connection and access to additional funding is key. What made a real difference was the pragmatic support, which allowed us to focus on building the company in a sustainable way. Beyond the funding, the programs, events, and access to a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem in Switzerland helped us learn quickly, connect with the right people, and grow step by step." highlighted Seprify's CEO and co-founder Lukas Schertel. "This combination of trust, practical guidance, and community support has been extremely valuable on our path to where Seprify is today."


Seprify's team