esa is a recycling technology company that has created the “esa method,” a chemical process that converts traditionally unrecyclable composite plastics—such as multilayer food packaging—into recycled plastic pellets branded as “Repla.” Life Cycle Assessment work with Kyoto University indicates these pellets can cut CO2 emissions by up to 87 % compared with virgin polyethylene. Established in March 2022, the firm is led by founder and CEO Chikako Kurokawa. The company intends to use its technology to process a broader range and volume of plastic waste by partnering with municipalities and food and packaging manufacturers in Japan. It also plans to leverage global financial-institution networks to launch overseas pilots and deployments. Future product development includes formulating higher-value pellets for automotive parts and building materials. To date, esa has raised a total of ¥950 million to fund R&D expansion and commercialization efforts.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Feb 2024