Latest News & Press Releases

Shortlisted for Change 100 We’re excited to share that Naturbeads has been shortlisted for Change 100, a global initiative celebrating the most innovative and impactful startups shaping a better future. Launched by We Make Change and its partners, Change 100 highlights startups that are tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges with bold, forward-thinking solutions. From climate and biodiversity to education and social impact, the initiative brings together companie

Microplastics are no longer just an environmental issue, they’ve become a mainstream conversation. From documentaries like Plastic Detox  on Netflix to growing global media coverage, awareness of microplastic pollution, and its potential impact on human health, is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.   We’re proud to see Naturbeads featured in a recent article by Forbes, highlighting startups working to tackle microplastic pollution at its source. At Naturbeads, we have spe

Our CCO, Giuseppe Santoro, attended InventU Sustainable Future Congress on 25–26 February in Amsterdam this year. It is always energising to be surrounded by individuals and organisations dedicated to tackling the pressing sustainability challenges we face. The congress provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen our collective commitment to driving sustainable solutions forward. If you attended but didn’t have the opportunity to

Microplastics have become a defining environmental issue. Found in oceans, soil, air, food, and even the human body, these tiny plastic particles are now recognised as a persistent and growing form of pollution (European Chemicals Agency, 2018). While awareness of the problem has increased, replacing microplastics with materials that perform just as well, without creating long-term harm, remains a challenge. One promising solution is biodegradable microspheres made from cellu

It was a pleasure to welcome the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) team to our site as they filmed the episode 2 of Future Maker to raise awareness about the widespread use of microplastics and the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. We would like to thank the UKRI team for capturing not only the scale of the challenge, but also the collective effort behind the solutions. Alongside Naturbeads, the episode highlights the important work of Ross Harling (Paint Zero) and Em

As we mark the end of 2025, we are delighted to share that we have successfully completed the commissioning of our first-of-a-kind plant in Surbo. This represents a major milestone for us, demonstrating that our technology can scale and validating its performance at an industrial level. It is a significant step forward in turning innovation into real-world impact. We would like to extend a huge thank you to our team for their dedication and hard work throughout this journey.

Every year, more than 2 million tonnes of microplastics are added to products used in everyday life, highlighting the scale at which they are intentionally produced and embedded into the economy. In the EU alone, an estimated 145,000 tonnes of microplastics are deliberately added each year to products such as cosmetics, paints, coatings, detergents, fertilisers, and industrial materials. Of these, around 42,000 tonnes are released into the environment annually during normal u

We’re delighted to share that our CEO, Giovanna Laudisio and CTO, Davide Mattia have been named winners of the Great British Entrepreneur Award in the Equity Backed Entrepreneur category. This recognition means a great deal to us. It reflects not only the innovation behind our technology, but also the hard work, commitment, and passion of the entire Naturbeads team. Every day, the team works towards our mission to replace microplastics at the source with sustainable, plant-ba

Microplastics are often spoken about as if they are a single, uniform pollutant. In reality, they are anything but simple. The term microplastics  refers to a vast and diverse group of particles that vary in size, shape, composition, origin, and behaviour in the environment (Rochman et al., 2019). This diversity is precisely what makes microplastics so difficult to study, regulate, and ultimately manage. Understanding the complexity of microplastics is essential if we are to

Microplastics are small plastic particles typically defined as being less than  5 millimetres (mm)  in size, with dimensions ranging from approximately  100 nanometres (nm) to 5 mm . Particles smaller than 100 nm are often classified separately as  nanoplastics , which are even more difficult to detect and study due to their extremely small size (Ocean Conservancy, 2023). Rather than representing a single substance, microplastics constitute a  diverse group of contaminants  t

Il 5 giugno, in occasione della Giornata Mondiale dell’Ambiente, si è tenuto a Salerno il convegno “Inquinamento da microplastiche: cause, conseguenze, soluzioni” , promosso dal Lions Club Salerno Principessa Sichelgaita. L’evento ha visto la partecipazione di rappresentanti delle istituzioni, della scuola, della ricerca scientifica e dell’industria, uniti da un obiettivo comune: contrastare l’inquinamento da microplastiche attraverso azioni concrete, consapevolezza e innovaz

Giovanna Laudisio è stata intervistata per un articolo pubblicato su Plastix , edizione di Giugno 2025. Nell’articolo (a pagina 22), si trovano alcuni suoi interventi su temi di grande attualità per il nostro settore. Un sentito grazie alla redazione di Plastix  per la collaborazione e la professionalità, e a tutti voi per il continuo supporto! Leggi l'articolo completo qui .

Naturbeads is officially on the shortlist for the 2025  Allica Bank Great British Entrepreneur Awards , often dubbed the “Grammys of Entrepreneurship” . This recognition places us among over 800 outstanding UK businesses celebrated for innovation, impact, and resilience. Being chosen as finalists in this prestigious competition highlights our dedication to creating sustainable solutions and the meaningful progress we’ve made in replacing microplastics with biodegradable cellu

Naturbeads has been selected as a finalist for the Best Investment in Sustainable Innovation  award at the upcoming UKBAA Angel Investment Awards 2025 . This recognition celebrates early-stage companies that have secured equity investment to develop impactful solutions to global sustainability challenges. The awards, hosted by the UK Business Angels Association, will take place on 10 July 2025 at The Brewery in London, and bring together founders, investors, and changemakers

BusinessCloud’s EnviroTech 50 recognises the UK’s most innovative green technology companies and Naturbeads just made it into the list! This annual ranking celebrates businesses using science and technology to create real environmental impact. Being included in the EnviroTech 50 highlights how our biodegradable cellulose microspheres are helping replace microplastics across multiple industries—enabling companies to meet their sustainability goals without compromising on perf

We’re thrilled to share that Naturbeads was named the winner of the Best EIS Investee Company  category at this year’s EIS Association Awards , held at the prestigious House of Lords. Representing the team on the night was our brilliant Senior Chemical Engineer, Giuseppina Tufano. The EIS Awards celebrate excellence in innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment across the UK. Winning this recognition is a proud moment for us, reflecting the hard work, vision, and commitment

We were honoured to take part in EntreConf 2025 in Bristol, where our CEO, Giovanna Laudisio, was invited to speak in the “Next Big Thing” session. A heartfelt thank you to Greg Ingham, Gildas Jones, and the EntreConf team for the opportunity to share the Naturbeads journey alongside a remarkable group of founders and innovators. EntreConf brought together a vibrant mix of investors, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders focused on driving change — from tackling climate challeng

Naturbeads recently made a significant contribution to the field of cellular agriculture by presenting at the 10th International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat  (ISCCM10), held in November 2024 in Maastricht. Our team, in collaboration with researchers from Spain’s AINIA institute, showcased a poster titled “Comparison of Naturbeads and Commercial Microcarriers Using Primary and Immortalized Myoblasts.”  This biennial gathering—organized by Maastricht University at th

Naturbeads has successfully closed a £7.8 million Series A funding round to accelerate the scale-up of its biodegradable cellulose microsphere technology, a sustainable alternative to microplastics in everyday products. The round was led by Eos Advisory, with participation from existing investor Progress Tech Transfer and new international backers including CDP Venture Capital, PI-NB, and Paragon Capital Management. The investment will support the construction of Naturbeads’

The Naturbeads  team had a fantastic time presenting at the Sustainable Beauty Forum this past week. Sharing our work on cellulose microspheres and our mission to prevent microplastics pollution with such an engaged and inspiring audience was an incredible experience. A huge thank you to everyone who attended our presentation, asked insightful questions, and connected with us. Your enthusiasm and feedback mean the world to us as we continue to grow and innovate! 🙌 We also wa