Participated · Series B · Feb 2025

Tidal Vision develops scalable chitosan-based biomolecular solutions for critical industries including water treatment, agriculture, and material science. Headquartered in Bellingham, Wash., the company positions chitosan chemistries as higher-performing, more economical, and easier-to-adopt alternatives. It holds an expanding intellectual property portfolio around chitosan extraction, modification, characterization, and commercial applications. The company is investing in expanded commercial-scale and R&D facilities to increase production capacity and global accessibility. Proceeds from its recent financing will accelerate R&D in chitosan and adjacent technologies and fund new infrastructure. Tidal Vision frames its mission as creating positive, systemic environmental impact by enabling broader industry adoption of its biomolecular solutions. Tidal Vision develops chitosan-based biomolecular technologies that transform chitosan into high-performance, biodegradable chemistries for water treatment, agriculture, and material science. The company leverages advanced manufacturing technologies and partners with industry leaders to offer its solutions at scale. Tidal Vision positions its products as green chemistries intended to outcompete non-biodegradable alternatives on performance, economics, and convenience. The company is focused on expanding the use of chitosan-based chemistries into new applications globally through industry partnerships. Tidal Vision is headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, has more than 200 employees, and operates facilities in five states. Tidal Vision converts seafood-industry scraps—salmon skin and discarded crab shells—into materials and consumer goods. Its core products include chitosan for textile use and salmon leather sheets sold to fashion designers, plus finished wallets and belts sold in 130 specialty stores. CEO and cofounder Craig Kasberg negotiated with seafood processors to buy scraps and lead the company’s product development. The company has 12 employees and is backed by more than $1 million from investors. Management is pursuing diversification beyond fashion, with coproduction deals for eco-friendly pool clarifiers and a pipeline of products including preservatives, fertilizers, athletic fabrics, car seat cushions and antimicrobial sponges. Tidal Vision aims to supply textile companies and designers while expanding into other markets as sustainable apparel adoption grows.

Participated · Series B · Jul 2022

Circ is a Danville, Virginia-based textile recycler that has developed patented technology to recycle global fashion waste back into textiles. The company says its process reduces the need for petroleum, trees, and other materials used to manufacture clothes. Its technology is currently used by Patagonia, Marubeni, and Fashion For Good. Circ aims to recycle 10 billion garments, representing 10% of the global apparel market, which it says will save more than 100 million trees. The company will use new funding to expand its manufacturing efforts and packaging partnerships. Circ is led by CEO Peter Majeranowski. Circ develops a proprietary chemical recycling process that extracts raw materials from discarded cotton and polyester, including cotton‑polyester blends. Its process uses subcritical water heated to 105–190°C at elevated pressure (40–300 psi) with a chemical catalyst such as sodium hydroxide to break polymer bonds and produce cellulose or terephthalic acid (TPA). Circ's patents state the method can use fewer chemical catalysts, making it cheaper and less environmentally taxing than some alternatives. The company began as a biofuels business processing tobacco waste but pivoted to textiles after industry demand. Circ says the new funding will help secure suppliers and purchasers as it scales, with the aim of making recycled garments accessible to everyday shoppers. Financially, the company previously raised $8 million in a round led by Tin Shed Ventures and has announced a $30 million Series B led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Circ has developed a chemical/hydrothermal process that can separate and recover both polyester and cotton from polyester–cotton blends while keeping fiber integrity intact. Founders Peter Majeranowski and Conor Hartman adapted the approach from earlier biofuels work (the company traces roots to Tyton BioScience) and have spent roughly a decade refining the technology. The process can handle small amounts of spandex (typically under 5 percent) and yields high-quality cotton cellulose that the team says can replace tree pulp for cellulosic fibers. Circ plans to introduce textiles made with its recycled fibers later this year, working with contract manufacturers and a facility in Danville, VA. The company raised $8 million from Patagonia, Marubeni, Alante Capital and Card Sound Capital to put the technology to work. Circ aims to scale impact—targeting recycling 10 billion garments by 2030—and positions its solution as one of several chemical-recycling approaches needed to address global textile waste and microplastics challenges.