What Searo Labs Ltd does

Searo Labs Ltd is a Cambridge, UK-based materials design studio founded in 2022 by husband-and-wife duo Ayça Dündar and Francis Field. The company develops proprietary seaweed-based natural polymer materials — branded as Nature's Polymers™ and sold under Searo® Materials, Searo® Film, and Searo® Packaging — as biodegradable, home-compostable alternatives to single-use plastics. The core technology converts sustainably sourced seaweed into formulations that mimic plastic properties (clarity, durability, heat-sealability, moisture management) without harmful chemical modification or PFAS, with additional functional capabilities including breathable barriers that extend the shelf-life of fresh produce and oil- and water-soluble variants for sachets and edible films.

The company's product portfolio spans flexible film reels and finished film applications (frozen food, dry food, fresh produce, oil sachets, water-soluble detergent pods, edible films, cling film, soap sachets, shopping bags) plus material formats including vegan leather alternatives, rigid containers, foams, seaweed paper, and adhesives. Searo operates a B2B enterprise sales motion targeting sustainability-focused CPG brands, packaging converters, and fresh-produce distributors, with revenue drawn from material sales, collaboration and co-development engagements, and custom material solutions. A strategic partnership with PA Consulting supports scaling of seaweed-based packaging products, and the company runs pilot programs enabling manufacturers and brands to trial and integrate materials into existing conversion workflows.

Searo Labs operates as a privately held, founder-controlled UK private limited company. No external funding rounds, institutional investors, or disclosed revenue figures are present in the source data; the business appears bootstrapped with award and accelerator-program support. The company has received recognition from major packaging and sustainability publications (Packaging Europe, Packaging Insights, Food Navigator Europe, Sifted) and its founders have won multiple international awards for sustainability and material innovation, providing early category credibility in the sustainable packaging sector.

Name

Searo Labs Ltd

Legal name

Searo Labs Ltd

Website

https://searolabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Searo Labs Ltd is a Cambridge, UK materials design studio founded in 2022 that develops proprietary seaweed-based polymer films and materials as biodegradable, home-compostable replacements for single-use plastics, selling to CPG brands, packaging converters, and fresh-produce distributors via B2B enterprise sales, pilots, and co-development partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Packaging Materials

NAICS

Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Plastics Foam Products (3086)

akta.pro primary industry

Compostable & Bio-Based Packaging (PLA/PHA, Starch Blends, Cellulose Films) (IMALAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compostable & Bio-Based Flexible Packaging (PLA, PHA, Cellulose Films) (IMALABAO), Bio-based & Biodegradable Polymer Resin Manufacturing (PLA, PHA, PBS, starch blends) (IMANAAAG), Biodegradable Packaging Materials (films, trays, foams) (IMAEAOAB), Bio-based Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, bio-PE, bio-PET, cellulose acetate) (IMAMALAC)

Keywords

• Seaweed-based packaging
• Biodegradable materials
• Flexible film production
• Compostable packaging solutions
• Natural polymer materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Material Sales: Sale of seaweed-based packaging materials (film, rigid containers, foams) to brands and manufacturers seeking plastic alternatives. Products sold include film reels, flexible packaging applications for frozen food, dry food, fresh produce, oil sachets, edible films, cling film, soap sachets, and shopping bags.
2. Collaboration & Co-development: Partnership model for material research collaboration with industry partners. Built on patented technology, sustainable materials are available to test in partner workflows.
3. Custom Material Solutions: Material solutions for diverse uses including foams, rigid containers, composites, fabrics, and leather alternatives. Possibilities extend to collaborating with brands to discover new solutions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Searo Labs develops and manufactures seaweed-based natural polymer materials under its proprietary Nature's Polymers™ platform, including flexible films, rigid containers, foams, coated papers, and vegan leather alternatives. The company sells these 100% natural, home-compostable materials to brands, packaging converters, and manufacturers as biodegradable replacements for single-use plastics.

Product overview

Searo Labs is a materials design studio offering a portfolio of seaweed-based materials branded as Searo® Materials and Searo® Film. The core product is seaweed-based flexible film reels engineered as plastic replacements, which can be formulated into diverse applications including frozen food packaging, dry food packaging, oil sachets, water soluble sachets, edible films, cling film, soap sachets, and shopping bags. The broader materials portfolio includes vegan leather alternatives, rigid containers, foam, seaweed paper, and adhesives. All products are made from natural seaweed polymers using proprietary formulations, are 100% plastic-free, home compostable, and designed to return to nature after use while enriching soil. The company offers pilot programs for partners to trial materials in their production workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Searo® Materials: Seaweed-based natural polymer materials designed as replacements for single-use plastic, home compostable and biodegradable.
• Searo® Film
• Searo® Packaging

Products and services

• Searo® Film

Quantifiable outcome

• 9% of ocean area for seaweed cultivation could capture 100% of CO2 emissions
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PA ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with PA Consulting to scale seaweed-based packaging products. Collaboration aims to address Single-Use Plastics (SUPs) and PFAS ('forever chemicals') through innovative seaweed-based material solutions. PA Consulting brings expertise in scaling sustainable packaging solutions for the industry.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Notpla: UK-based maker of seaweed-based films, coatings and dissolvable packaging. Most direct competitor to Searo — same feedstock category, similar film applications (sachets, flexible packaging), and overlapping CPG target customers.
• Loliware: US-based startup producing seaweed-based straws and other single-use plastic replacements. Direct competitor in seaweed-derived packaging with comparable go-to-market into food-service and consumer brands.
• TIPA: Israel-based developer of compostable flexible packaging for food and apparel. Direct peer offering bio-based packaging films with similar home/industrial compostability positioning competing for the same CPG accounts.
• Lactips: French developer of bio-based, water-soluble and compostable plastic films made from casein protein. Direct peer competing in bio-based flexible packaging for detergent pods, food and industrial applications.
• Cruz Foam: Bio-based foam packaging manufacturer using sustainable inputs (chitosan from crustacean shells) to replace EPS foam. Direct peer in the sustainable cushioning/foam category where Searo markets its seaweed-based foam materials.
• Ecovative Design: US-based mycelium packaging and materials company. Direct peer in the natural-polymer, bio-based protective packaging category; competing for sustainable packaging briefs from brands and converters.
• Sway: California-based startup developing seaweed-based flexible packaging films. Direct peer targeting the same seaweed-to-film substitution thesis as Searo, with brand owner and converter customers in mind.

Emerging players

• PlasticFri: Swedish startup developing bio-based alternatives to single-use plastics, including seaweed and agricultural-waste feedstocks. Emerging player in the same compostable packaging substitution narrative as Searo.
• Beyond Leather Materials: Danish startup producing plant-based leather alternatives from apple waste. Emerging player in the alternative-leather segment where Searo also markets its vegan leather material under Searo® Materials.

Broad incumbents

• BioPak: Established Asia-Pacific supplier of compostable and bio-based food service packaging. Broad incumbent with a wide catalog of bagasse, PLA and paper-based products that overlaps with Searo's food and beverage packaging focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/searolabs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Searo Labs Ltd