Participated · Series A · Oct 2025

Founded in 2021, Uluu develops plastic alternatives made by extracting sugars from seaweed, feeding them to PHA-producing microbes, and processing the resulting polyhydroxyalkanoates into pellets using a process the company likens to brewing beer. The startup is commercialising materials for use in cosmetics packaging, fashion accessories and textiles, and has run product collaborations with brands including Good Citizens (seaweed glasses), Quiksilver (wax scraper) and Papinelle (biodegradable buttons for pajamas). Uluu currently produces about 100 kg of material per year and aims to scale to one tonne per year with the new grant and to a 10-tonne-per-year demonstration plant by 2027. Financially, the company recently closed a $16 million Series A and has received grants including $1.5 million from the WA Government and the new $2.1 million from the federal Industry Growth Program. The funding will support regulatory certification, commercial trials, increased production capacity, and team expansion from 25 toward 30–35 staff.