Notpla, a company founded by Imperial students Pierre Paslier from France and Rodrigo Garcia from Spain, has developed a seaweed-based biodegradable alternative to plastic. 

In December 2022, Notpla became the first UK-based company to win the Prince of Wales’ Earthshot prize. Notpla’s product has so far replaced over 15 million single-use plastic packages, and the business successfully raised £20m of investment in their latest funding round closed in September 2024. 

The company will use the money to expand its business in seaweed-based packaging, particularly in North America, and to carry out further innovation.

The Notpla team met while studying Innovation Design Engineering, a programme offered jointly by Imperial and the Royal College of Art. The company developed with support from Imperial’s well-established entrepreneurial ecosystem, including Imperial Enterprise Lab, the Venture Catalyst Challenge and Undaunted’s climate accelerator programme, now known as The Greenhouse. The company was also a resident in Imperial’s White City Incubator.