Sparxell news and archive

Sparxell introduces first plant-based structural colour ink for commercial use

Cambridge-based start-up Sparxell will next month begin selling what it claims is the world’s first commercially available, plant-derived structural colour ink for textiles. The launch, produced in partnership with manufacturing specialist Positive Materials, offers fashion brands a dye-free alternative that promises sharp reductions in water,...

Fashion

Patrick McDowell and Sparxell pioneer dresses coloured with plant-based cellulose

Sustainable luxury brand Patrick McDowell has announced a new collaboration with colour platform Sparxell to create a printed couture gown and a commercially available shirt dress, thus integrating Sparxell’s innovative colourants for the first time into fashion. Sparxell was founded by University of Cambridge scientists Benjamin Droguet and...

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Business

British biotech firm Sparxell secures 1.9-million-euro grant

Cambridge-based Sparxell, a plant-based colourant technology start-up, has secured 1.9 million euros in funding from the European Innovation Council (EIC). The fresh injection of capital will help the LVMH-backed University of Cambridge spin-out scale its world-first, natural colourants, as it looks to transform the 48 billion US dollar...

Fairs

Plant-based colourant manufacturer Sparxell wins ChangeNow ‘Coups de Cœur’

Sparxell, an LVMH-backed, plant-based colourant tech firm, has won ChangeNow’s ‘Coups de Cœur’ recognition award in the fashion category, and has further been named among the organisation’s Change100 winners for 2025. The list, a round up of the top sustainability startups to watch this year, evaluates solutions based on their positive impact...

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Business

Plant-based pigment developer Sparxell secures 3.2 million dollar funding

UK manufacturer of plant-based pigments Sparxell has announced the closing of a 3.2 million dollar funding round which it said it would use to help accelerate the development and commercialisation of its products. The funding, made up of seed investments, grants and awards, saw support from anchor investor Circular Innovation Fund, a venture...