What Balena.Science does

Balena.Science (legal entity: balena ltd.) is an Israeli materials science company founded in 2016 by David Roubach and headquartered at Shoken 32 st, Tel Aviv. The company develops the BioCir® family of biopolymer materials — BioCirFlex®, BioCirFlex3D®, BioCirX®, BioCirFoam®, and FlexTex3D — described as the world's first fully flexible and industrially compostable thermoplastic elastomers. BioCir® is a composition combining naturally occurring feedstock (castor beans, oils, polysaccharides, PHA biopolymers from bacterial fermentation) with biodegradable polymers and modifiers, certified under DIN CERTCO Biobased and Industrially Compostable, ASTM D6400-04, EN 13432, ISO 14855, and ISO OECD 208, and processed via standard injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing (FFF/FGF) equipment without capital changes.

The company sells its materials as drop-in replacements for petroleum-based TPU, rubber, PU, EVA, and PVC to enterprise fashion, footwear, and consumer-goods brands through three commercial routes: (1) direct B2B material sales to named accounts including Stella McCartney, Vivobarefoot, Lemon Jelly, ForEver, and Prym; (2) limited-edition direct-to-consumer products through its own Shopify storefront at balena.science (BioCir Slides at 180 NIS, BioCir Sneakers, BioCir X frisbee); and (3) channel-partner distribution via Recreus (Balena.Filaflex 3D printing filament), ForEver (compostable soles), and Prym (rigid accessories for fashion brands globally). Pricing for B2B materials is quote-based and volume-dependent; the company states parity with high-quality TPU or PP.

Balena has assembled a leadership team of fewer than ten people including CEO David Roubach, CPO Yael Joyce Vantu, CSO Yanir Shaked, Head of R&D Galy Levy, Head of Operations Tzachi Shem Tov, Head of Brand Design Rotem Biksenspaner, and Head of Marketing Yarden Leshem. The company supports a proprietary end-of-life composting infrastructure — Epic Renewal, Veteran Compost, and Dirt Wain in the US plus UK facilities — branded as BioCycling®, and operates take-back pilots including the Vivobarefoot Re-Vivo program and a Tel Aviv take-back for BioCir Slides. Notable recognitions include a Red Dot Design Award for Design Concept (2024), Seoul Design Award (2024), Dezeen Awards shortlist (2024), 3D Pioneers Challenge Fashion Tech winner (2024), Fast Company Innovation by Design honorable mention (2024), Fast Company 2023 World Changing Ideas EMEA honoree, and #MakeItCircularChallenge winner (2023).

Name

Balena.Science

Legal name

balena ltd.

Website

https://balena.science

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Balena.Science is an Israeli materials science company developing the BioCir® family of industrially compostable biopolymer materials as drop-in replacements for petroleum-based plastics, serving global fashion, footwear, and consumer-goods brands via B2B sales and channel partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodegradable Plastics & Sustainable Materials

NAICS

Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)

akta.pro primary industry

Compostable Materials & Certified Compostables (IMAEAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodegradable Elastomers & Rubbers (IMAEAOAI), Biodegradable Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMAEAOAA)

Keywords

• Compostable biopolymers
• Biodegradable plastics
• Sustainable fashion materials
• Circular materials
• Biobased polymers

Headquarters

HQ city

Tel Aviv

HQ country

Israel

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. B2B Material Sales: Balena sells its BioCir® material portfolio (BioCirFlex, BioCirFlex3D, BioCirX, BioCirFoam) to fashion, footwear, and consumer goods brands as drop-in replacement for conventional plastics. Revenue is generated through material sales and product development partnerships. Pricing is quote-based and volume-dependent, competitive with high-quality TPU or PP.
2. Direct-to-Consumer Product Sales: Balena operates its own Shopify e-commerce storefront (balena.science) selling finished consumer products made from its materials — including BioCir Slides (180.00 NIS), BioCir Sneakers, and other branded items. This direct channel generates revenue from end consumers and serves as proof-of-concept for the material technology.
3. Licensing / Channel Revenue (Recreus Filament): Balena.Filaflex 3D printing filament is sold through Recreus's e-commerce platform. This represents a licensing/distribution revenue stream where Balena's material is formatted and sold by Recreus to their global base of 3D printing customers. Balena receives revenue per unit sold through this channel.
4. Sales Operations / Business Development Services: The company is building a commercial organization including Sales Operations Manager roles to drive revenue growth, manage pricing, and support B2B partnerships. This is a strategic investment phase focused on expanding commercial infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Balena develops and sells the BioCir® family of high-performance, industrially compostable biopolymer materials (BioCirFlex, BioCirFlex3D, BioCirX, BioCirFoam) as drop-in replacements for petroleum-based plastics in fashion, footwear, and consumer goods. The company primarily sells these materials B2B to brands such as Stella McCartney, Vivobarefoot, Lemon Jelly, ForEver, and Prym, and also markets finished products (BioCir Slides) through its own e-commerce store.

Product overview

Balena.Science is a material science company developing high-performance biopolymer materials designed for circularity. The product portfolio centers on the BioCir family of materials (BioCirFlex, BioCirFlex3D, BioCirX, BioCirFoam) - compostable, biobased alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. These materials serve various manufacturing processes including injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing. The company also commercializes finished products through brand partnerships (VivoBiome with Vivobarefoot, S-Wave with Stella McCartney, NYSSA Bag with Lemon Jelly, ForeverBioCirSoles with ForEver, Prym collaboration) and consumer products (BioCir Slides, BioCir Sneakers). Balena.Filaflex, co-developed with Recreus, extends the materials into 3D printing filament. All products are designed for end-of-life biodegradation in industrial compost facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BioCir: Primary material brand: a family of high-performance biopolymer materials including BioCirFlex, BioCirFlex3D, BioCirX, and BioCir Foam. Designed as fully compostable and recyclable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.
• VivoBiome
• NYSSA Bag
• S-Wave
• BioCir FlexTex 3D
• Balena.Filaflex

Products and services

• BioCirFlex Flexible biopolymer material designed for injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing applications. Biobased, industrially compostable, and fully recyclable alternative to petroleum-based TPU and rubber, used by fashion and footwear brands in soles, slides, handbags, and apparel components.
• BioCirFlex3D Biobased, compostable polymer material specifically developed for 3D printing using FGF and FFF methods. Offers flexibility comparable to TPU with biodegradability, used in the VivoBiome scan-to-print footwear system and 3D-printed fashion garments.
• BioCirX Durable, non-toxic, fully biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based rigid plastics. Engineered from PHA biopolymers for injection molding of accessories such as buttons, buckles, and eyewear frames. Certified biodegradable across compost, soil, and marine environments.
• BioCirFoam Foam material in the BioCir family designed for cushioning and comfort applications in consumer goods.
• Balena.Filaflex Next-generation fully circular 3D printing filament co-developed with Recreus. Biobased, compostable, and recyclable filament for flexible 3D printing applications, distributed globally via Recreus.
• NYSSA Bag World's first fully circular handbag created in partnership with Lemon Jelly. Crafted from BioCirFlex, fully compostable or recyclable, available in deep black and amber yellow limited edition.
• S-Wave by Stella McCartney Compostable sneaker featuring biobased sole made from cinnamon waste, using Balena's BioCirFlex material. Naturally scented and part of Stella McCartney's sustainable fashion line.
• VivoBiome World's first barefoot, 3D-printed, industrially compostable footwear system. Scan-to-print digital service creating made-to-order, made-to-measure, locally produced footwear using BioCirFlex3D material.
• ForeverBioCirSoles Fully circular footwear soles developed with ForEver. BioCirFlex-based soles that are 50–85% biobased and fully industrially compostable.
• BioCir Slides First product made entirely from BioCir material. Designed and manufactured in Italy, colored and scented using natural cinnamon. Sold at 180.00 NIS through balena.science e-commerce store, demonstrates full circular lifecycle.
• Balena x PRYM Collaboration Partnership offering BioCirX material globally to fashion brands in the form of buttons, buckles, and accessories via Prym's manufacturing and distribution infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 60% reduction in fossil fuel use in polymer production compared to conventional plastics
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Notpla: UK-based maker of seaweed-based compostable packaging and materials for foodservice and consumer goods. Directly comparable to Balena as a certified compostable biopolymer startup targeting plastic replacement in consumer applications, with similar go-to-market via brand partnerships and a comparable sustainability-driven value proposition.
• Algenesis Labs: US-based producer of biodegradable polyurethane (TPU replacement) materials for footwear and consumer goods. Directly competes with Balena's BioCirFlex in the flexible compostable footwear polymer niche and co-participates with Balena in Fashion for Good's Next Stride project targeting bio-based soles.
• KUORI: Switzerland-based sustainable footwear startup using bio-based and compostable sole materials. Direct peer in the compostable footwear segment and fellow Next Stride cohort participant alongside Balena, targeting the same circular shoe sole opportunity.
• Evoco: Bio-based material innovation company focused on footwear and consumer goods, including plant-based foam alternatives. Direct peer in the bio-based footwear materials space and co-participant in Fashion for Good's Next Stride project alongside Balena.
• Yulex: US-based producer of bio-based natural rubber alternatives (guayule-based) for footwear, fashion, and consumer goods applications. Directly comparable as a bio-based alternative to traditional rubber/TPU and fellow Next Stride cohort participant alongside Balena.

Broad incumbents

• NatureWorks: World's largest PLA producer (Ingeo biopolymer), joint venture between Cargill and PTT Global Chemical. Operates at industrial scale across packaging, fibers, and 3D printing; comparable as a biopolymer platform but at commodity scale and broader portfolio rather than Balena's focused compostable flexible elastomer niche.
• TotalEnergies Corbion: Joint venture producing Luminy PLA bioplastics for packaging, consumer goods, and 3D printing. Incumbent biopolymer competitor with industrial-scale production; comparable product category (PLA-based bioplastics) but broader commodity focus versus Balena's specialty flexible compostable elastomer positioning.
• Danimer Scientific: US-based publicly listed producer of PHA-based bioplastics (Nodax PHA) for packaging, foodservice, and consumer goods. Operates as a publicly traded incumbent in the biodegradable biopolymer space; comparable technology stack (PHA feedstocks) but at larger scale and broader packaging focus.

Emerging players

• Sway: US-based startup developing seaweed-based flexible packaging films as plastic replacements. Comparable as an emerging bio-based flexible material startup targeting compostable alternatives to conventional flexible plastics, though focused on packaging films rather than elastomers.
• Loliware: US-based startup producing seaweed-based compostable single-use foodservice products (straws, cups, cutlery). Comparable as an emerging bio-based compostable materials company serving consumer brands with sustainability positioning, though focused on foodservice disposables rather than durable fashion/footwear applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BalenaScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/Balena.science
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/balenascience/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/balena.science

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Balena.Science