Cambond

What Cambond does

Cambond Ltd is a UK-based materials science company founded in 2014 in Cambridge by Drs Xiaobin Zhao (CEO) and Gareth Roberts, developing plant-based bio-resins and biocomposites as replacements for oil-based and formaldehyde-containing adhesives. Its core technology converts agricultural and brewing industry by-products (brewer's spent grain, algae, bioethanol by-products, paper sludge) combined with a proprietary linking agent into a formaldehyde-free resin that can drop into existing particle board, MDF, OSB, and plywood manufacturing lines. The CAMBOND® resin serves as the platform input for multiple downstream products: Camposite® biocomposite building panels, Camposites for plastic replacement, CamCup reusable coffee cups, Cupboard hospitality furniture, biodegradable pallets, and the Frasscoat organic seed coating developed through subsidiary WASWARE.

The company's business model combines technology licensing and direct B2B sales to wood panel manufacturers, foundries, and plastics users, with consumer sub-products distributed at small scale. Revenue mechanics are largely grant-backed today: total disclosed funding is approximately £7.74M, dominated by the £7.3M Innovate UK BONDIFI consortium project (September 2022) plus a £40k Shell Springboard award (2018) and a Royal Society of Chemistry graduate internship grant (2021). No private equity or venture funding rounds are disclosed. Cambond operates from a Cambridge HQ, an NIAB Eastern Agri-Tech Innovation Hub laboratory in Soham, and a London business trading office, with international partnerships in China (Dareglobal Wood Group) and stated expansion plans into Europe, South East Asia, and the United States.

The company holds over 20 global patents, has received European and US patent notices of allowance for its core technologies, and has been recognized as the 2021 top green business in the UK. Named commercial partners include FORESSO, WI International (BANCCI/Libero Bio-panels), Lunts Castings, and Dareglobal Wood Group, with Frasscoat shortlisted by Tesco for Agri T-Jam. The team remains small (1-10 employees) and is actively recruiting a Marketing Manager, Validation Engineer, and Operations Associate as it transitions from R&D-led development to commercial scaling of bio-resin manufacturing in the UK.

Name

Cambond

Legal name

Cambond Ltd

Website

https://cambond.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cambond is a UK-based materials company that develops formaldehyde-free bio-resins and biocomposites from agricultural and brewing waste, serving wood panel, construction, foundry, and plastics manufacturers through licensing and direct B2B sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bio-based Adhesives and Biocomposites

NAICS

Adhesive Manufacturing (32552), Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing (3212)

SIC

Adhesives & Sealants (2891), Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Bio-based Adhesives, Coatings & Sealants (lignin/tannin/soy-based) (IMAMALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Adhesives & Sealants Chemicals (IMAEABAA), Wood-based Biocomposites & Natural Fiber Composites (WPC, bio-reinforced plastics) (IMAMALAF)

Keywords

• Bio-based adhesives
• Biocomposite materials
• Formaldehyde-free resin
• Sustainable packaging materials
• Plastic replacement materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bio-resin and Bio-adhesive Sales: Sale of Cambond's proprietary bio-resin to wood panel manufacturers, construction industry, and other manufacturers. The resin is sold as an alternative to oil-based and formaldehyde-based adhesives, targeting the global adhesives market valued at over £34 billion and the wood panel industry valued at £300 billion annually.
2. Camposite Biocomposite Products: Sale of biocomposite materials (Camposite) including bamboo and straw-based building panels, as alternatives to wood panels and plastics. Also includes plastic replacement products at 5-10% less than virgin plastics.
3. Consumer Products (CamCup, Cupboard): Sale of consumer products including CamCup reusable coffee cups and Cupboard furniture made from disposable coffee cups for the hospitality industry.
4. Technology Licensing and Partnerships: Licensing of Cambond technology to international partners including manufacturing partnerships in China for wood, straw, and bamboo-based boards. The BONDIFI project aims to embed bioresin technology within manufacturing facilities across the UK.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cambond manufactures and sells a proprietary plant-based bio-resin adhesive made from agricultural and food industry waste (brewer's spent grain, algae, bioethanol by-products) as a formaldehyde-free alternative to oil-based epoxy and urea formaldehyde resins. The bio-resin is sold directly to wood panel, construction, foundry, and packaging manufacturers, and is also the base ingredient for Cambond's downstream product lines: Camposite biocomposites (building panels), Camposites (plastic replacements), Frasscoat organic seed coatings, and consumer goods such as CamCup and Cupboard.

Product overview

Cambond offers a portfolio of bio-based adhesive and biocomposite products centered on its proprietary CAMBOND® Resin technology. The core offering is the formaldehyde-free bio-resin made from brewing industry by-products and algae, which serves as the foundational ingredient for multiple product lines including Camposite® biocomposites (building panels), Camposites plastic replacements, and specialized products like CamCup and Cupboard. The company also develops application-specific products through its WASWARE brand, including Frasscoat seed coating. All products share a common sustainability mission: replacing oil-based, formaldehyde-containing materials with biodegradable, low-carbon alternatives derived from agricultural waste streams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WASWARE: Product development arm of Cambond, responsible for products like Frasscoat organic bioresin seed coating and bioplastic homeware products.
• Camposite®
• CamCup
• Cupboard

Products and services

• CAMBOND Resin Plant-based bio-resin adhesive made from brewing industry waste and algae, serving as a formaldehyde-free alternative to traditional oil-based adhesives for wood panels and construction materials. Sold to wood panel manufacturers, construction industry, and other manufacturers as a drop-in replacement.
• Camposite Biocomposites Biocomposite materials combining Cambond resin with biomass such as straw, oat husks, peanut shells, bamboo, and polymers to create building panels as alternatives to MDF, OSB, and plywood.
• Camposites Plastic Replacements Bio-based materials derived from plant sources that replace traditional oil-based plastics, supplied 5–10% cheaper than virgin plastics for packaging, consumer goods, and homeware applications.
• CamCup Reusable coffee cup made from spent coffee grounds, plant fibres and Cambond's bio-adhesive, demonstrating the company's circular economy approach for the hospitality industry.
• Cupboard Furniture material made from disposable coffee cups processed with Cambond's bio-resin, providing an environmentally friendly alternative for the hospitality industry.
• Frasscoat Organic Seed Coating Organic seed coating technology using Cambond's bioresin combined with insect frass biopesticide to enhance seed germination (>20%), stimulate seedling growth, and provide biodegradable pest protection.
• Construction Boards Formaldehyde-free wood panel products (OSB, Plywood, MDF) manufactured using Cambond's bio-resin, meeting P1–P5 standard regulations for construction applications.
• Biodegradable Pallets 100% biodegradable shipping pallets manufactured using Cambond's resin combined with agricultural waste as an eco-friendly packaging alternative to traditional wood or plastic pallets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% reduction in CO2 emissions
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2023Lead organisation for Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping (CHCx3) consortium. Cambond's role sits within supporting value chains for the construction industry, combining bio-adhesive with fibres from crops to make construction panels.
• Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping (CHCx3) ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 202322-partner four-year project led by NIAB to help UK farmers target Net Zero and build farming resilience. Cambond combines bio-adhesive with fibres from various crops grown by project growers to make construction panels. Partners include British Hemp Alliance, Carbon Farm Hubs, Cotswold Seeds, Crops for Energy, Dark Green Carbon, Elsoms Seeds, Energy Crops Consultancy, English Fine Cottons, FarmED, FC Palmer & Sons, NFU, Natural Building Systems, Northern Ireland Hemp Association, Rothamsted Research, Scottish Hemp Association, Terravesta, UK Hempcrete, University of York, Unyte Hemp.
• AgrigrubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2022Collaboration partner for Frasscoat organic seed coating technology. Uses chitosan from insect frass (black soldier flies fed on citrus fruit waste) combined with Cambond bio-resin to create organic seed coating. Joe Halstead, Managing Director.
• WASWAREcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2022Cambond's product development arm for taking Frasscoat organic seed coating to market. Prof Xiaobin Zhao of WASWARE presented at REAP 2022 Start-up Showcase.
• TescominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2022Shortlisted Frasscoat technology for Tesco's Agri T-Jam partnership with World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit. Over 140 submissions received, Frasscoat selected as one of ten finalists to potentially work with UK's leading retailer and supply chain partners.
• ForessocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022Panel manufacturer and partner in the £7.3M BONDIFI project. Makes timber terrazzo using British timber waste, thoughtfully designed for everyday use. Collaborates with Cambond to craft visually captivating decorative products using Cambond's cutting-edge bio-resin technology.
• WI International (BANCCI, Libero Bio-panels)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022Panel manufacturer partner in BONDIFI project. Building a new dedicated timber waste panel plant in the UK to produce bio-panels for the furniture and construction sectors using Cambond technology.
• Lunts CastingscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022Leading foundry partner in BONDIFI project. Casting metal artworks and architectural hardware for over 90 years. Using Cambond technology to develop new generation foundry technology with sustainable resins.
• Biocomposites Centre, Bangor UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022Research partner in BONDIFI project. Global leader in the science and manufacture of biocomposites providing expertise for the consortium.
• Materials and Engineering Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2022Research partner in BONDIFI project. Interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to addressing industrial problems through application of fundamental science and engineering, focusing on casting chemistry.
• Innovate UK EDGEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2021Business advisory support for Cambond's small team of scientists and engineers.
• AccentureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 October 2021Business advisory support for Cambond's small team of scientists and engineers.
• Dareglobal Wood GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2015Asia's leading manufacturer of plywood and MDF products. Successfully completed 'green glue' pilot with Cambond to make wood-based products suitable for the construction industry in a prototype manufacturing plant. Collaboration extends to scaled-up manufacturing of fibreboard with green bio-adhesives.
• NIAB Eastern Agri-Tech Innovation HubcoreOthersLaboratory and research facility location for Cambond's operations. Dr Lydia Smith from NIAB facilitates industry collaborations and introductions.
• Agri-Tech EastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCambond became a member of Agri-Tech East, an independent business-focused cluster organisation to improve international competitiveness and sustainability of agriculture and horticulture. Brings together farmers, growers, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs to create a global innovation hub in agri-tech.
• SAPPIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Innovate UK grants with Bangor University to turn Foundation Industry Waste Stream into value added products.
• Bangor UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with SAPPI in Innovate UK grants to turn Foundation Industry Waste Stream into value added products. Also Biocomposites Centre partner in BONDIFI project.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bloom Biorenewables: Swiss startup developing bio-based adhesives from lignin and sugar residues as alternatives to formaldehyde-based resins. Most direct comparable to Cambond in target market (wood-panel binders), technology (plant-based chemistry), and stage (commercialization). Directly competes for the same licensing customers.
• Bcomp: Swiss company producing natural fibre composites (flax, hemp) combined with bio-based resins for automotive, sports, and construction applications. Comparable bio-composite technology stack and target verticals (panels, automotive, consumer goods).

Broad incumbents

• UPM Biochemicals: Division of UPM-Kymmene producing bio-based monoethylene glycol and biorefinery chemicals from wood and biomass residues. Comparable bio-based chemical feedstock strategy and broad industrial customer base, with significantly greater scale and capital.
• Stora Enso: Major European wood-products and biomaterials company producing engineered wood panels, lignin-based binders, and bio-based alternatives to fossil-based chemicals. Directly addresses the same formaldehyde-replacement opportunity that Cambond targets, with established panel-manufacturer customers.
• Hexion: Leading global producer of formaldehyde-based and alternative resins for wood panels and industrial applications. The incumbent that Cambond's bio-resin is positioned to disrupt; offers direct comparison for performance and pricing benchmarks.
• Arkema (Bostik): Global specialty adhesives and sealants major within Arkema, including growing bio-based and sustainable adhesive product lines. Represents the established channel and customer-relationship competitive threat in industrial adhesive markets.
• BASF: Global chemical major with bio-based polymer and adhesive offerings (e.g., Ecovio, biomass-balance products) targeting packaging and industrial customers. Comparable in cross-vertical applications and provides benchmark for performance, pricing, and certifications.

Emerging players

• NatureWorks: Producer of Ingeo PLA biopolymers from plant sugars, with applications in packaging, food-serviceware, and 3D printing. Comparable bio-based polymer technology stack and sustainability-driven value proposition for replacing conventional plastics.
• Ecovative Design: US-based biomaterials company producing mycelium-based packaging, leather alternatives, and food products from agricultural waste. Comparable waste-to-value feedstock strategy and target verticals (packaging, consumer goods, materials replacement).
• Lactips: French company producing water-soluble, biodegradable plastics from milk protein (casein) for packaging, agricultural, and industrial applications. Comparable bio-based, biodegradable alternative-to-plastics positioning targeting packaging and agricultural customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/XiaobinZhao1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambond-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cambond