Funding · Climate, Energy & Sustainability

Zerocircle raises ₹5 crore in pre-Series A

By Startup Enthusiast · 22 January 2026

What they do

Zerocircle makes seaweed-based packaging to replace petrochemical plastics

It raised ₹5 crore in pre-Series A funding co-led by 3one4 Capital and Rainmatter Capital

The company has already replaced about 1.6 million plastic containers in the past year

Zerocircle raised ₹5 crore in pre-Series A funding.
The round was co-led by 3one4 Capital and Rainmatter Capital.
Other institutional and angel investors also participated.
The company will use the funds to accelerate deeptech research and scale production of seaweed-based biopolymers.
Zerocircle had previously raised ₹20 crore ($2.3 million) led by Rainmatter.
That earlier round included 1Crowd, VC Grid, 7th Gen Ventures, and Trudie Styler.
The startup was founded in 2020 by Neha Jain.

Demand for sustainable packaging is driven by strict anti-plastic policies and regulatory pressure.
The global packaging market is over $1.1 trillion, with the sustainable segment projected to reach $530–560 billion by 2030.
Zerocircle has already replaced approximately 1.6 million plastic containers in the past year.

Zerocircle is a materials science startup based in Pune.
It produces seaweed-based packaging materials to replace petrochemical plastics.
Product categories include QSR packaging (hamburger boxes, fried food containers, bakery trays).
It also makes barrier coatings (beverage cups, food wraps) and flexible films (cutlery pouches, dissolvable wraps).
The materials are marine-degradable and home-compostable, with no PFAS and low-energy green processing.
Seaweed requires no freshwater, fertilizer, or land and absorbs about 120 kg CO2 per tonne.
The company operates in India, Netherlands, and the Benelux region of Europe.
Target markets include Europe, UK, Oceania, and India.
Zerocircle works with distributors, converters, and foodservice partners.
Its materials are designed as a drop-in solution for existing plastic manufacturing machinery.

Accelerate deeptech research and scale production of seaweed-based biopolymers.
Launch new barrier coatings including water-resistant paperboards.
Develop heat-sealable coatings for cutlery pouches and coated low-GSM paper for food wraps.

3one4 Capital (co-lead) — A venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups.
Rainmatter Capital (co-lead) — A venture capital firm focused on sustainability and climate tech.

Product: Bio-based and compostable packaging materials derived from seaweed, including coatings, food containers, bakery packaging, and trays.
Customers: Food brands, restaurant chains, and consumer goods packaging manufacturers.
How it makes money: Manufactures and sells seaweed-based packaging materials and coatings to B2B clients.
What sets it apart: Utilizes natural seaweed polymers to eliminate petrochemical plastics and prevent microplastic contamination.
Operations: Conducts deeptech materials science research and production based out of Pune.