What Omlab does

Omlab is an Arnhem, Netherlands-based biocircular design studio founded in 2019 by Huub Looze (material designer, trainer) and Margreet van Uffelen (ecoist, director). The studio develops and applies 100% biocircular materials — derived from waste streams such as calcite from drinking water treatment, Kaumera from sewage treatment, cellulose extracted from flushed toilet paper (Recell), and alginate — using 3D printing (paste/extrusion-based) processes. Core material inventions include Itbettermatter (a biodegradable, soil-restorative printable material), Buildmatterial (a construction-grade alternative at strength class C8 with TNO-validated LCA showing MKI 0.011 vs concrete's 0.0252 and kgCO2-eq 0.14 vs concrete's 0.257), and NNmatterial (developed from cellulose recovered from European Patent Office archive documents).

The studio's product portfolio is nature-inclusive and spans swallow nest boxes (Martin, Barney), bat boxes (Vesper 2.0, Omnis), the Biotaludtegel (Biostack) erosion-protection tile, the Pimpel wine/nest box, and the Maacq Oase object. Omlab collaborates with MVRDV on the Modular by Nature project, co-developed the Omnis bat box with Faunest under commission from the Province of South Holland, and is part of the Rethink Materials consortium working on industrial 3D printing scale-up at The Green Village in Delft. The studio has earned recognition through a 2023 Dutch Design Award nomination (Product category), the 2024 Secrid Talent Award, the 2022 Jan Terlouw Innovatie Award, the 2022 Change Makers Award nomination, the 2021 Publieksprijs Gelderse Circulaire Innovatie, and the 2023 Ruud van Berkel Award (Heembouw proeftuin).

Omlab generates revenue through three intertwined streams: paid professional services (workshops under the 'Eén morgen' method at €325-375 per participant, taster sessions at €250 for two hours, and custom material R&D and project-based design work for enterprise clients); and hardware product sales (nest boxes distributed as corporate gifts and via partners such as Dura Vermeer and Heembouw). The company is structured as a founder-owned Dutch general partnership (VOF) with no institutional funding; team size scales with project demand in the 1-10 range. GTM is relationship-driven and consultative, anchored by annual Dutch Design Week participation, international exhibitions, and direct outreach from co-founder Margreet van Uffelen to Dutch architects, construction firms (MVRDV, Dura Vermeer, Heembouw), housing corporations (Wonion), and government bodies (Rijkswaterstaat, water boards HHNK and WRIJ, Province of South Holland).

Name

Omlab

Legal name

Omlab

Website

https://omlab.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Omlab is an Arnhem-based biocircular design studio that 3D-prints material prototypes and nature-inclusive products from waste streams (water-treatment byproducts, recycled cellulose) for Dutch construction, architecture, and government clients, monetizing through project R&D, paid workshops, and product sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biocircular Materials and Nature-Inclusive Building Products

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Waste/Materials Reporting (Zero waste, packaging) (EUAHAJAL)

Keywords

• Biocircular material design
• 3D-printed construction materials
• Nature-inclusive building products
• Waste-stream material R&D
• Circular economy workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshops & Training: Omlab delivers paid workshops under the 'Eén morgen' (one morning) methodology. Workshops cover circular/biobased materials, nature and circularity, and biobased policy for policymakers. Delivered by co-founders Huub Looze and Margreet van Uffelen. Duration: half-day sessions. Pricing: €325 p.p. excl. VAT (min. 5 participants), optional with 3D pasta printer demo at €375 p.p. excl. VAT.
2. Project-based Design & R&D: Omlab conducts custom material research, product development, and 3D printing for clients. Engagements include co-designing with architects, developing body-specific material mixes, and prototyping. Clients include municipalities, construction firms, housing corporations, and architecture studios. Revenue is project fee-based, typically one-time engagements with potential follow-up collaborations.
3. Product Sales (Nest Boxes, Faunamodules): Omlab manufactures and sells circular products such as Martin (swallow nest), Barney (barn swallow nest), Vesper (bat box), and Pimpel (wine box/nest box). Products are sold as relatiegeschenken (corporate gifts) and directly to clients. Barney was placed by Dura Vermeer in Amsterdam.
4. Taster Sessions: Two-hour exclusive consultation sessions (tasters) for potential clients, universities, and entrepreneurs. Priced at €250 excl. VAT for 2 hours. If the taster leads to a collaboration/quote, the session fee is credited against the first quote.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Omlab is a biocircular design studio that develops proprietary 100% biobased 3D-printable material prototypes from waste streams (sewage treatment, drinking water treatment, recycled paper/cellulose) and applies them in nature-inclusive products such as bat boxes, swallow nests, and biodegradable slope tiles. The studio sells its materials and products through project-based co-development with architects, construction firms, housing corporations, and government bodies, complemented by paid half-day workshops on biobased and circular building for professionals and policymakers.

Product overview

Omlab is a biocircular (material) design studio specializing in sustainable materials and nature-inclusive products for construction and biodiversity. The company operates on a circular economy principle based on Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber's 'Material Matters' philosophy. Omlab's core offerings include 3D-printed biocircular material prototypes (Itbettermatter, Buildmatterial, NNmatterial) made from waste streams like sewage water, drinking water treatment, and recycled paper. The product portfolio includes nature-inclusive animal housing (Vesper 2.0, Omnis bat boxes; Martin, Barney, Pimpel bird houses; Biotaludtegel slope tiles) developed through collaborations with Faunest, MVRDV, and Lilian van Daal. Services include workshop programs ('Eén morgen' workshops) for biobased and circular education. The studio scales from prototype to industrial production through consortiums like Rethink Materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Buildmatterial Biocircular 3D-printable construction and interior material prototype with gypsum-concrete strength (class C8), 100% biocircular raw materials (98% from sewage and drinking water treatment), MKI 0.011 and CO2-eq 0.14 — significantly outperforming conventional concrete on LCA. Designed for architects, construction firms, and housing corporations seeking low-impact structural materials.
• Itbettermatter Omlab's first supercircular, biodegradable 3D print material prototype for nature development and temporary outdoor constructions. Contains slow-release calcium to combat soil acidification at end-of-life. Made from cellulose (recycled toilet paper), Kaumera, calcite, and alginate.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buildmatterial LCA: MKI 0.011 (vs concrete 0.0252), kgCO2-eq 0.14 (vs concrete 0.257) — 56% lower MKI and 46% lower CO2 footprint per unit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Faunest – architect voor de dierencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Omlab and Faunest co-developed the Omnis bat box — a supercircular built-in bat box for all bat types and building types. The collaboration combines Faunest's ecological expertise (architect for animals) with Omlab's biocircular material R&D and 3D printing capabilities. Jennifer de Jonge, director of Faunest, was the first to advise Omlab to 'deconcretize' nest boxes.
• The Green VillagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Omlab tests biotaludtegel (Biostack) and Omnis bat box prototypes at The Green Village — the primary construction testing facility in Delft. The Green Village serves as the demo and testing platform for Omlab's nature-inclusive infrastructure products.
• Soil VisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoil Vision provides soil expertise for Omlab's biotaludtegel development. Advises on body-specific material mixes — with more sand, less calcite, or nutrients — for optimal integration with different soil types in infrastructure applications.
• Van GeldercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVan Gelder (infrastructure company) collaborates with Omlab on the Rethink Materials consortium and the Biotalud project. Together they work on implementing biodegradable slope tiles in real infrastructure projects.
• Morssinkhof GroepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorssinkhof Groep partners with Omlab on the Biotalud project and Rethink Materials consortium for implementing biological slope protection in infrastructure.
• MVRDVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmlab and MVRDV co-created 'Modular by Nature' — speculative fauna modules for MVRDV's HQ exterior in Rotterdam. The project explored biodegradation and nature-inclusive building, with Omlab 3D printing modules using Itbettermatter.
• Biobased CreationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiobased Creations (Lucas de Man, Pascal Leboucq) initiated The Exploded View — a major research maquette of a circular biobased house. Omlab contributed material prototypes and 3D printing. Biobased Creations also published Omlab's material recipes in the Material Library (open source).
• WonioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWonion (housing corporation) co-developed Project 2030 with Omlab — Buildmatterial seating elements installed in Wonion's entrance. The collaboration enabled further development of Omlab's material and printing technique for daily-use applications.
• Triodos BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTriodos Bank held its Experience Days at Omlab in 2024. Collaboration for circular economy events and workshops, strengthening Omlab's visibility in the sustainable finance community.
• Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier (HHNK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHHNK (regional water authority) collaborates in the Rethink Materials consortium for implementing biocircular slope tiles in water infrastructure, testing Omlab's materials in real water management contexts.
• Provincie Zuid-HollandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvince of South Holland commissioned the Omnis bat box project (Omlab x Faunest), directly funding the development of a supercircular built-in bat box for bats in building projects.
• Noor NuytencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist Noor Nuyten collaborated with Omlab on NNmatterial (made from European Patent Office archive documents) and Tensed Screen exhibition at Upstream Gallery. The 'NN+' signature represents joint creative production. Nuyten's work is now part of EPO's permanent collection in Berlin.
• Vogelbescherming NederlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVogelbescherming (Bird Protection Netherlands) helped improve the first prototype of Martin (swallow nest). Timo Roeke (Vogelbescherming) endorsed Omlab's circular biobased approach for nature-inclusive building.
• AquaMineralscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquaMinerals (representing Dutch water companies) co-initiated Maacq Waar(de) prize competition and collaborates on circular material development. Provided water iron (for ochre pigments) and cellulose (Recell) as raw materials for Omlab's biocircular products.
• Wageningen Food and Biobased Research (WFBR | WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFBR (part of Wageningen University & Research) collaborates closely with Omlab on biocircular material research. Goal: improve the durability and water resistance of Buildmatterial without compromising biodegradability.
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWUR contributes to Omlab's 'Natuur en circulariteit' workshop development and ongoing material research. Collaborates with students and researchers on biodiversity and circular economy in the built environment.
• Fillip StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmlab and Fillip Studios co-developed Maacq Oase — a 3D-printed circular object for biodiversity, exhibited at CODA Apeldoorn and other venues. Also collaborated on Oase installation at Galerie Transnatural during Dutch Design Week 2025.
• Lilian van DaalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigner Lilian van Daal (specializing in biomimicry) co-designed Stroncq — a seating object with biodegradable slope tile. The design draws from plant root networks as the most efficient form of slope reinforcement.
• Dura VermeercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDura Vermeer placed Barney (circular barn swallow nest boxes) under 6 circular bridges in Amsterdam (March 2023). Collaboration demonstrates practical application of Omlab's nature-inclusive products in large-scale construction projects.
• HeembouwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeembouw won Omlab's proeftuin (pilot) opportunity and commissioned Vesper 2.0 bat box development for a Rotterdam renovation project (Rottebocht). The collaboration advances nature-inclusive solutions in social housing.
• Gemeente ArnhemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality of Arnhem collaborated on the Biotalud project and Rethink Materials consortium for implementing biodegradable slope tiles in Arnhem's infrastructure.
• Beroepsvereniging Nederlandse Architecten (BNA, afdeling PEP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBNA's PEP (Professioneel Ervarings Programma) works with Omlab on workshops and professional education programs for architects around circular and biobased building.
• Stichting FabrikaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOmlab and Stichting Fabrikaat investigated 3D printing with Nijmegen river clay (TERRA_TORY project). Omlab provided 3D printing expertise; Fabrikaat contributed local clay materials and placemaking expertise.
• RecellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecell processes sewage water into cellulose fiber (from flushed toilet paper) which becomes a key raw material in Omlab's Buildmatterial and Itbettermatter. Omlab sources tertiary cellulose via EFGF (Energie- en Grondstoffen Fabriek) and KNN Cellulose.
• Energie- en Grondstoffen Fabriek (EFGF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFGF provides processed waste streams (cellulose) from sewage treatment to Omlab as raw materials for biocircular 3D printing. EFGF is part of waterschap Rijn en IJssel's circular economy value chain.
• TNO (Rijksprogramma Emissieloos Bouwen)coreTechnology or IntegrationTNO collaborated with Omlab through the Fieldlab Emissieloos Bouwen (Zero Carbon Construction) program. TNO conducted the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) for Buildmatterial, providing the comparative data against concrete.
• Waterschap Rijn en IJssel (WRIJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRIJ (regional water authority) co-initiated the MAACQ project alongside Omlab and AquaMinerals, exploring applications for water sector waste streams in circular products.
• RijkswaterstaatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRijkswaterstaat (national public works authority) is listed as a client/partner. Omlab participates in 'De Regeneratieve Stad' discussions with Rijkswaterstaat and partners, exploring nature-inclusive infrastructure solutions.
• OostNLminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOostNL (development agency for East Netherlands) supported Omlab's early development and presence at events. Listed as a client/partner organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• New Horizon: Dutch enterprise specializing in urban-mining construction materials, turning demolition waste into new building products; highly comparable to Omlab's waste-to-material innovation model and circular-construction value proposition.
• Materia Nova: Belgian R&D center developing biobased and circular material solutions for industry; comparable to Omlab in its biobased material R&D focus, applied-circular-economy positioning, and Benelux regional scope.
• StoneCycling: Dutch company producing circular building materials (bricks and tiles made from demolition and industrial waste) for architectural applications; directly comparable in its focus on waste-derived construction materials and circular construction positioning.
• Biobased Creations: Dutch design studio developing biobased interior and construction materials and prototypes for circular building; an active collaborator of Omlab on circular material development (The Exploded View, Material Library) and operates in the same Dutch biobased-design niche.
• NPSP Composieten: Dutch manufacturer of biobased composites for construction and infrastructure applications (e.g., bridges, noise barriers); directly comparable in producing biobased composite materials with construction-grade performance targets in the Dutch market.

Others

• Circle Economy: Dutch circular-economy research and consulting organization producing the Circularity Gap Report and advising governments and industry; thematically adjacent to Omlab as a Dutch circular-economy ecosystem player but operating at policy/strategy level rather than materials.
• Metabolic: Dutch sustainability consultancy advising on circular economy, climate and resource strategies for governments and enterprises; adjacent to Omlab via shared circular-economy mission and policy-maker customer segment, but services-oriented rather than materials-oriented.
• Madaster: Dutch material-passport platform enabling circular construction by tracking materials in buildings; adjacent infrastructure player in the same Dutch circular-construction ecosystem, frequently co-referenced with biocircular material suppliers.

Broad incumbents

• BAM Group: Major Dutch construction and engineering firm with sustainability and circular-materials initiatives across a broad portfolio; represents the incumbent end of Omlab's customer-and-competitor spectrum, with vastly greater scale but no specialization in biocircular material R&D.

Emerging players

• Concular: Dutch circular-construction consultancy focused on material passports, reuse and circular procurement for buildings; overlaps with Omlab's circular-construction niche and serves a similar architect/developer customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omlab
• Instagraminstagram.com/omlabnl

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 Omlab