What Epoch Biodesign does

Epoch Biodesign is a UK-based deep-technology company founded in 2019 that uses AI-engineered enzymes to depolymerise nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 waste streams into virgin-quality chemical building blocks (adipic acid and HMDA). Its core technology combines generative AI, physics-based modelling, and directed evolution to design enzymes that break down mixed nylon waste at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, achieving over 90% depolymerisation efficiency without the energy burden of chemical recycling or the performance degradation of mechanical recycling. The vertically integrated platform spans enzyme discovery, process optimisation, and scale-up to industrial production.

The company is currently scaling through three defined stages: a multi-tonne pilot plant operational since 2025, a demonstration-scale biorecycling facility (hundreds of tonnes per year) at Imperial College London's Grapht Works opening in Q3 2026, and a planned commercial-scale 20,000 metric tonnes per year facility targeted for 2028 in partnership with INVISTA. Headcount stands at 45 multidisciplinary scientists and engineers, supported by senior advisors drawn from INVISTA, DuPont, Ginkgo Bioworks, Caltech, and BASF.

Epoch generates revenue through the sale of recycled nylon 6,6 monomers sold as drop-in replacements for virgin materials, technology licensing and co-development agreements, and long-term off-take agreements with major apparel and automotive brands. Active strategic partnerships include Lululemon (investor and off-taker), Inditex (multi-year development partner since the Series A), and INVISTA (commercial-scale MoU), with 40+ active commercial relationships across fashion, performance apparel, automotive, and industrial segments. The company has raised over $50 million from Lowercarbon Capital, Extantia Capital, Kompas VC, Inditex, Lululemon, Happiness Capital, Leitmotif, and Box Group, and was recognised as a World Economic Forum 2026 Technology Pioneer.

Name

Epoch Biodesign

Legal name

Epoch Biodesign Ltd

Website

https://epochbiodesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Epoch Biodesign is a UK-based deep-technology company that uses AI-engineered enzymes to depolymerise nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 waste into virgin-quality chemical building blocks, serving apparel, automotive, and industrial manufacturers seeking drop-in recycled nylon alternatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Polymer Recycling

NAICS

Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Chemical Recycling & Depolymerization of Bio-based/Compostable Plastics (advanced recycling pathways) (IMANANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging Waste Sorting & Recycling Technologies (Mechanical/Chemical Recycling, Sorting Systems) (IMALAMAL), Recycled & Reprocessed Polymer Resin Manufacturing (rPET, rPP, rPE; PCR/PIR resins) (IMANAAAH)

Keywords

• Enzymatic recycling technology
• Recycled nylon monomers
• Circular polymers manufacturing
• AI enzyme design
• Synthetic biology materials

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recycled Nylon Monomer Sales: Production and sale of virgin-quality recycled nylon 6,6 monomers (adipic acid and HMDA) derived from enzymatic recycling of post-consumer and post-industrial nylon waste. Products are sold as drop-in replacements for virgin materials.
2. Technology Licensing and Partnerships: Multi-year partnerships with major brands (e.g., Inditex) to develop and commercialise enzyme-based recycling technology. Revenue generated through development agreements, joint ventures, and technology licensing arrangements.
3. Off-take Agreements: Long-term off-take agreements with major brands committing to purchase recycled nylon output, providing revenue visibility and demand certainty for commercial-scale production facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Epoch Biodesign develops AI-engineered enzymatic recycling technology that breaks down nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 waste (including textiles, airbags, carpets, and blended materials) into virgin-quality monomers (adipic acid and HMDA). The process operates at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, accepts mixed waste streams, and produces drop-in recycled polymers sold to apparel, automotive, and industrial manufacturers under multi-year off-take and licensing agreements.

Product overview

Epoch Biodesign offers an AI-powered enzymatic recycling platform that converts nylon waste (both Nylon 6,6 and Nylon 6) into virgin-quality chemical building blocks and recycled polymers. The core offering consists of proprietary AI-designed enzyme technology that operates at low temperatures and accepts mixed waste streams, combined with vertically integrated capabilities spanning enzyme design, process optimization, and industrial-scale manufacturing. Their platform enables textile-to-textile circularity for the apparel and automotive industries, producing drop-in recycled polymers compatible with existing supply chains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nylon 6,6 Enzymatic Recycling Technology AI-engineered enzymatic process that breaks down nylon 6,6 waste (garments, airbags, carpets, blended textiles) into virgin-quality chemical building blocks (adipic acid and HMDA) at over 90% efficiency, operating at room temperature and atmospheric pressure without high energy requirements. Sold to apparel, automotive, and industrial manufacturers as a drop-in replacement for virgin nylon 6,6.
• Nylon 6 Enzymatic Recycling Technology Enzymatic recycling technology for nylon 6 that accepts mixed waste streams regardless of form, color, or composition, producing virgin-quality recycled nylon 6 suitable for textiles, automotive, industrial, and packaging applications.
• AI-Enabled Enzyme Design Platform Vertically integrated technology platform combining AI, synthetic biology, chemistry, and industrial-scale engineering. Spans enzyme discovery and design, evolution via AI and lab-based screening, process optimisation, and scale-up manufacturing to design enzymes that deconstruct materials at the molecular level for circular materials production.
• Drop-in Recycled Polymers Virgin-quality recycled polymers produced through Epoch's enzymatic recycling, suitable as drop-in replacements in existing supply chains across apparel, automotive, and industrial applications without disruption to manufacturing processes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 90% depolymerisation efficiency for nylon 6,6 into virgin-quality monomers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Imperial College London / Grapht WorkscoreTechnology or Integration · 22 April 2026Host location for Europe's first and world's largest nylon 6,6 biorecycling demonstration plant. Grapht Works facility at Imperial College London houses demonstration-scale production equipment.
• T2T AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Collaboration to expand nylon bio-recycling capacity and support EU policy on textile circularity. T2T Alliance is a textile-to-textile industry consortium working to scale textile recycling and advance EU regulatory frameworks for circular textiles.
• INVISTAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2026 to advance development of post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6 at commercial scale. INVISTA is one of the world's largest nylon 6,6 producers (Koch Industries subsidiary). Partnership aims to develop commercial-scale recycled nylon supply using Epoch's enzymatic technology.
• InditexcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Multi-year partnership to develop enzyme-based recycling technology. Inditex (owner of Zara and other brands) provides strategic investment and commercial partnership for recycled materials offtake. Partnership formed alongside $18.3M Series A funding.
• Fashion for GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative supporting the development and scaling of sustainable fashion innovations. Epoch is a member of the Fashion for Good ecosystem.
• Textile ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal member-driven organisation promoting practices and procurement of preferred sustainable fibres and materials. Epoch participates as industry member.
• WRAPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based charity working to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Focus on resource efficiency and waste reduction. Epoch participates in ecosystem supporting circular textiles.
• BIA (BioIndustry Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK trade association for bioscience companies. Epoch is profiled as UK innovator in biosolutions for sustainable manufacturing and net zero pathways.
• UKFT (UK Fashion & Textile Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK trade association for fashion and textile industry. Epoch participates in industry ecosystem and has been featured in UKFT recognition pieces.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Samsara Eco: Australia-based enzymatic recycling startup focused on nylon 6,6 and polyester depolymerisation using engineered enzymes. Most direct competitor to Epoch, targeting the same apparel/automotive off-take channels with similar enzymatic chemistry.
• Carbios: French biotech that pioneered enzymatic depolymerisation of PET using engineered leaf-branch compost cutinase. Closest publicly-listed enzymatic recycling peer; competes for similar brand off-take agreements and demonstrates the commercial pathway Epoch is targeting.
• Protein Evolution: US-based enzymatic recycling company using AI-designed enzymes to break down mixed plastics including polyesters and polyamides. Direct competitor in the AI-engineered enzymatic recycling space with similar target applications.
• Loop Industries: Canada-based PET/terephthalate recycling company focused on enzymatic and chemical depolymerisation of polyester waste. Comparable enzymatic-recycling business model targeting fashion brands and consumer-goods packaging.
• Origin Materials: US-listed biomass-conversion and plastics recycling company pursuing chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste to monomers. Comparable in the drop-in-recycled-monomer value proposition, with overlapping commercial talent (Epoch's Head of Chemistry was previously at Origin Materials).

Broad incumbents

• INVISTA: World's largest nylon 6,6 producer and Koch Industries subsidiary. Epoch's MoU partner but also an incumbent that could develop or license competing recycling technology; its installed polymerisation and global logistics footprint make it the most strategically significant counterparty in the space.
• DuPont: Long-standing nylon 6,6 and engineered polymers producer with deep expertise in the nylon value chain. Broad incumbent competing in recycled-content nylon and engineering plastics for automotive/industrial applications.
• Novonesis (formerly Novozymes): Global enzyme platform company with broad industrial biocatalysis capabilities. While not a direct nylon recycler, it represents both a potential supplier/partner and a competitive threat as the largest player in industrial enzyme design and scale-up.
• Ginkgo Bioworks: US-listed synthetic biology platform developing engineered organisms and enzymes for industrial applications. Comparable in the AI/synbio for materials space; relevant given Epoch's Head of Molecular Biology was previously a Program Director at Ginkgo Bioworks.
• BASF: Global chemical major with significant nylon and engineering plastics exposure, plus an industrial biotech unit. Both a potential strategic partner (one of Epoch's investors' extended networks) and an incumbent that could pursue competing enzymatic recycling pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epochbiodesign
• Xx.com/epochbio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds13 records

Investors22 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epoch Biodesign