Blab Tech
Swiss Startup SurfAce Cleantech Secures CHF 250,000 Pre-Seed Round to Advance Compostable Packaging Coating
In a quiet ceremony at EPFL Innovation Park, Swiss startup SurfAce Cleantech announced it has closed a CHF 250,000 pre‑seed financing round. The round was led by a group of Swiss business angels, including an investor from the SICTIC network, and the Stiftung HSG START Accelerator.
The new capital will help the company advance the next phase of its industrial development and grow its team from three to five employees. Key priorities for the funding period include optimizing strategic pattern and zone printing, refining mechanical reinforcement criteria, conducting further industrial‑scale trials, and pushing the technology toward compostability certification. SurfAce’s management says the goal is to achieve market readiness by the first quarter of 2027.
"This round allows us to move from successful laboratory and industrial trial results toward an industrialized and certified product," said Saoirse McConnell, co‑founder and CTO. "Our focus is now on mastering the technical parameters required to deliver consistent performance under real production conditions."
Co‑founder and CEO Frederic Mauch added, "We have a very clear use for this capital: accelerating the specific technical and industrial milestones that stand between our current results and commercial deployment. The next months are about execution – industrial optimization, certification and demonstrating that our technology can deliver both performance and economic value at scale."
SurfAce’s patent‑pending coating reinforces compostable films. Developed in collaboration with EPFL researchers, the coating lets manufacturers produce thinner, stronger, and more cost‑competitive flexible packaging while preserving compostability. The company claims the solution blends advanced materials science with industrial printing processes—a combination that could speed the adoption of high‑performance compostable packaging.
The funding round follows earlier support from the Swiss Innovation Fund (FIT), which granted a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan to finish product development, conduct market testing, obtain certifications, and fully patent the innovation. In addition, the HSG START Accelerator invested CHF 100,000, a contribution that the company described as a significant part of its pre‑seed round.
EPFL Innovation Park, part of the Swiss Innovation Park network, hosts a number of deep‑tech startups. SurfAce’s location provides access to university research, industrial partners, and a talent pool that is well‑suited to the company’s focus on sustainable packaging.
Industry analysts note that the global market for compostable packaging is expanding as regulations tighten on single‑use plastics and consumer demand for sustainable alternatives grows. Performance gaps between compostable and conventional plastics have slowed widespread adoption. SurfAce’s coating technology aims to close that gap by boosting mechanical strength without compromising biodegradability.
The company’s next steps include scaling up production trials, completing third‑party compostability testing, and securing the certifications required for commercial deployment. If successful, the technology could be supplied as a coating and licensed to extruders worldwide.
As of today, SurfAce has a small but growing team and is preparing to transition from proof‑of‑concept to a market‑ready product. The company has not yet announced a commercial launch date beyond the Q1 2027 target.
The CHF 250,000 pre‑seed round, combined with the earlier FIT loan and HSG START Accelerator investment, provides the financial foundation for SurfAce to refine its technology, meet certification standards, and demonstrate industrial viability. The company remains focused on executing the technical milestones that will enable it to enter the compostable packaging market.
The next public update from SurfAce is expected in the coming months, when the startup will likely report progress on its industrial trials and certification status. Until then, the company’s trajectory will be monitored by investors and industry observers interested in sustainable packaging solutions.
The new capital will help the company advance the next phase of its industrial development and grow its team from three to five employees. Key priorities for the funding period include optimizing strategic pattern and zone printing, refining mechanical reinforcement criteria, conducting further industrial‑scale trials, and pushing the technology toward compostability certification. SurfAce’s management says the goal is to achieve market readiness by the first quarter of 2027.
"This round allows us to move from successful laboratory and industrial trial results toward an industrialized and certified product," said Saoirse McConnell, co‑founder and CTO. "Our focus is now on mastering the technical parameters required to deliver consistent performance under real production conditions."
Co‑founder and CEO Frederic Mauch added, "We have a very clear use for this capital: accelerating the specific technical and industrial milestones that stand between our current results and commercial deployment. The next months are about execution – industrial optimization, certification and demonstrating that our technology can deliver both performance and economic value at scale."
SurfAce’s patent‑pending coating reinforces compostable films. Developed in collaboration with EPFL researchers, the coating lets manufacturers produce thinner, stronger, and more cost‑competitive flexible packaging while preserving compostability. The company claims the solution blends advanced materials science with industrial printing processes—a combination that could speed the adoption of high‑performance compostable packaging.
The funding round follows earlier support from the Swiss Innovation Fund (FIT), which granted a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan to finish product development, conduct market testing, obtain certifications, and fully patent the innovation. In addition, the HSG START Accelerator invested CHF 100,000, a contribution that the company described as a significant part of its pre‑seed round.
EPFL Innovation Park, part of the Swiss Innovation Park network, hosts a number of deep‑tech startups. SurfAce’s location provides access to university research, industrial partners, and a talent pool that is well‑suited to the company’s focus on sustainable packaging.
Industry analysts note that the global market for compostable packaging is expanding as regulations tighten on single‑use plastics and consumer demand for sustainable alternatives grows. Performance gaps between compostable and conventional plastics have slowed widespread adoption. SurfAce’s coating technology aims to close that gap by boosting mechanical strength without compromising biodegradability.
The company’s next steps include scaling up production trials, completing third‑party compostability testing, and securing the certifications required for commercial deployment. If successful, the technology could be supplied as a coating and licensed to extruders worldwide.
As of today, SurfAce has a small but growing team and is preparing to transition from proof‑of‑concept to a market‑ready product. The company has not yet announced a commercial launch date beyond the Q1 2027 target.
The CHF 250,000 pre‑seed round, combined with the earlier FIT loan and HSG START Accelerator investment, provides the financial foundation for SurfAce to refine its technology, meet certification standards, and demonstrate industrial viability. The company remains focused on executing the technical milestones that will enable it to enter the compostable packaging market.
The next public update from SurfAce is expected in the coming months, when the startup will likely report progress on its industrial trials and certification status. Until then, the company’s trajectory will be monitored by investors and industry observers interested in sustainable packaging solutions.
