Materials science company Zerocircle raises pre-Series A round from 3one4 Capital, Rainmatter and others

Materials science company Zerocircle has raised Rs 5 crore in pre-Series A funding round co-led by 3one4 Capital and Rainmatter Capital along with participation from other investors.

The Pune-based company had earlier raised Rs 20 crore ($2.3 million) in a funding round led by Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath’s Rainmatter, and saw participation from early-stage venture capital firms 1Crowd, VC Grid, 7th Gen Ventures, and environmental advocate Trudie Styler, among others.

The proceeds will be used to support its deeptech research and scale-up efforts focused on replacing plastic in food and consumer packaging using natural polymers and compounds, Zerocircle said in a press release.

Founded in 2020 by Neha Jain, Zerocircle creates seaweed-based packaging designed to replace harmful petrochemical-based materials. Its product range includes coated packaging for hamburger boxes, fried food containers, bakery packaging, and food trays. The company’s materials are designed to eliminate toxic plastics and reduce microplastic leakage into the human body, soil, air, and oceans.

According to Zerocircle, its materials are targeted at high-volume packaging categories where incumbent solutions such as polyethylene (PE) and PLA face performance, recyclability, or regulatory constraints. These include foodservice and QSR packaging, coated paper and board, hot and cold beverage cups, grease-resistant food wraps, and biopolymer pellet applications—segments that collectively represent a significant share of global demand and are among the most actively seeking plastic-free, scalable alternatives.

As per market research, the global packaging market is estimated at over $1.1 trillion, and the sustainable alternatives segment is projected to grow to $530–560 billion by 2030.

Zerocircle focuses on scaling in markets where regulatory pressure and customer demand for plastic-free packaging are accelerating, including Europe, the UK, Oceania, and India. The company works closely with distributors, converters, and foodservice partners to deploy its materials across high-volume applications such as food packaging and coated paper products.

Zerocircle said it is close to launching a new portfolio of barrier coatings, including water-resistant coated paperboards, heat-sealable coatings for applications such as cutlery pouches in hospitality, and coated low-GSM paper for food wraps and liners.

Over the past year, Zerocircle claims it has replaced approximately 1.6 million plastic food containers, with deployments across India, the Netherlands, and the Benelux region of Europe.