Xampla

Xampla is a materials innovation company unlocking the power of plants to create natural materials which change the world. Their platform technology powers a variety of applications including Morro™ materials: world-first natural polymers made from plants which are designed to eliminate the world’s most polluting plastics.

Xampla was founded in 2018 by Professor Tuomas Knowles and Dr Marc Rodriguez Garcia, building on over 15 years of research at the University of Cambridge. The technology uses the natural ability of proteins to be structured into high performance materials, without chemical modification. This led them to launch Morro materials in 2023. Morro materials are plastic-free coatings and films which are made from plants and biodegrade in all environments, while offering the same functions as plastic.

These high-performance coatings and edible films tackle the hidden plastics often found in single-use food-to-go and FMCG packaging. The company is working with partners such as Just Eat Takeaway.com and Bunzl to replace plastic coatings in packaging worldwide and aims to replace 10 billion items of single-use plastic in the next five years.

Xampla has grown steadily, securing £6.2 million in seed funding in 2021 and a £10.2 million Series A round in 2025 to support global expansion of its Morro™ materials. The company has also received recognition for its leadership, with CEO Alexandra French named among the UK’s top female founders to watch.

Today, Xampla continues to scale its technology and deepen its impact, offering a sustainable solution to the global plastic pollution crisis.