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Balena Science

MaterialsTel Aviv, IsraelFounded 2020· One of 955 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

High-performance, compostable, and biodegradable biopolymers designed for the fashion industry, suitable for 3D printing and injection molding applications.

CEO / Founder
David Roubach
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
$14M
Latest Round
Seed
Key Investors
Raw Ventures

Technology & Products

Key Products

BioCir (biopolymer material), compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic materials for fashion and durable consumer goods.

Technological Advantage

First fully compostable and biodegradable flexible elastomer optimized for both 3D printing and injection molding.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Providing fully compostable and biodegradable materials that can replace polluting plastics in fashion, enabling brands to create circular products without compromising on performance or design.

How They Differentiate

Offers a fully compostable, bio-based thermoplastic material uniquely optimized for both modern 3D printing and traditional injection molding processes.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Fashion and footwear brands seeking sustainable material solutions

Industry Verticals

["Fashion","Footwear","Textiles"]

Competitors

BLOOM Foam; Polaris Renewables; Living Ink

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

Over 100% year-on-year revenue growth in the last two years

Major Milestones

["Commercial launch of BioCir Slides in 2022","Selection for Fashion for Good Innovation Programme in 2024"]

Notable Customers

Stella McCartney (collaboration on sustainable S-Wave trainer)

Why this company matters

Balena Science develops high-performance, compostable biopolymers designed to replace conventional plastics in fashion and durable consumer goods. Founded in 2020 and based in Tel Aviv, the company positions its materials as a drop-in solution for brands aiming to achieve circularity without sacrificing design or production flexibility.

The company's core product, BioCir, is a flexible elastomer that is both compostable and biodegradable. It is engineered for material extrusion (MEX) 3D printing as well as traditional injection molding, allowing manufacturers to adopt the material across prototyping and mass production workflows. Balena holds over 50 patents pending for its material formulations.

Balena targets fashion and footwear brands. Notable collaborations include a partnership with Stella McCartney on the sustainable S-Wave trainer and work with designers such as Kitty Shukman and Brigitte Kock for 3D-printed footwear and garments. The company was selected for the Fashion for Good Innovation Programme in 2024 and commercially launched its BioCir Slides in 2022.

Balena competes with other sustainable material developers such as BLOOM Foam and Polaris Renewables. Its differentiation lies in offering a compostable thermoplastic that is optimized for both additive and conventional manufacturing. With $14 million in funding from Raw Ventures and over 100% year-on-year revenue growth, the company is scaling its material science platform for the fashion industry.