Greenitio, a Singapore-based startup developing functional biopolymers for cosmetics and specialty chemical applications, has raised $1.5 million in Seed funding to accelerate its path to commercial readiness.

The firm said in a statement on last Friday that the round was led by SGInnovate, with participation from Better Bite Ventures, Silverstrand Capital, and several existing investors and angels from the chemicals and cosmetics industries.

With the new investment, Greenitio plans to scale manufacturing, advance regulatory approvals, and expand commercial partnerships with global cosmetics and chemical companies.

“This fundraise gives us the runway to move from lab-scale proof to real-world deployment, supported by strong interest from formulation, sustainability and innovation teams across both the personal care and industrial value chains,” said Dr. Amit Kumar Khan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Greenitio.

Founded in 2021, Greenitio has developed a proprietary, patented green chemistry process to produce sustainable bio-based polymers, serving as direct replacements for microplastic- and petrochemical-based ingredients used in cosmetics, personal and home care, and specialty chemical applications.

The water-based method eliminates chemical waste, lowers carbon footprint by up to 87% compared to conventional chemistry, and achieves roughly three times the cost-efficiency of comparable bio-based alternative ingredients.

The process yields high-performance biopolymers that are cationic and tunable, and which can be seamlessly incorporated into water-soluble, oil-dispersible, and emulsion-compatible formulation systems.

Derived primarily from fungal chitosan, they also deliver multiple benefits including film formation, deep moisturization, SPF boosting, anti-inflammation, and active ingredient delivery.

The company’s flagship biopolymer lines—Chitosola™, Chitobe™, and Chitobela™—deliver multifunctional performance for skin, sun, and hair care applications.

All three have already been listed in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI), and are registered with the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC).

Meanwhile, several other materials are transitioning from research and development (R&D) into pilot production to meet commercial demand.

“Innovation is central to the global push toward decarbonization, and we remain committed to supporting companies like Greenitio that harness emerging technologies to build a more sustainable future,

“We look forward to partnering with the company to support its growth, as it scales to drive the adoption of cleaner alternative ingredients across major global industries,” said Hsien-Hui Tong, Executive Director – Investments, SGInnovate.

The firm currently operates an integrated R&D and pilot facility in Singapore, covering end-to-end product development from molecule design to application testing.

To meet growing demand from European partners, Greenitio will also establish a dedicated subsidiary in Benelux.

The Benelux hub will support customer collaborations, and commercial scale-up across Europe, leveraging the region’s central location and its strong chemical and cosmetics industry ecosystem.

“We’re excited by Greenitio’s potential across multiple industries, from replacing microplastics in personal care to extending shelf life and enabling more sustainable packaging in the food sector, while helping to lower emissions,” said Simon Newstead, Founding Partner, Better Bite Ventures.

#SustainableBeauty #GreenChemistry #Biopolymers #CosmeticInnovation #EcoFriendlySolutions