Jellagen

MaterialsCardiff, UKFounded 2015· One of 970 Materials companies tracked by AMPulse

Develops and manufactures medical-grade Collagen Type 0 derived from jellyfish for bioprinting and tissue engineering, addressing risks of traditional mammalian sources.

CEO / Founder: Thomas-Paul Descamps
Team Size: 11-50
Stage: Active
Total Funding: $21.3M
Latest Round: Strategic Investment
Key Investors: Cardiff Capital Region, Development Bank of Wales, Thai Union Group PCL, Royal Biologics, Angels Invest Wales

Technology & Products

Key Products

Collagen Type 0 (from jellyfish) for tissue engineering and bioprinting.

Technological Advantage

Evolutionary ancient collagen (Type 0) is compatible with a wide range of cell types and lacks the disease vectors found in mammalian collagen; ISO13485:2016-certified manufacturing facility.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

Provides a sustainable, non-mammalian 'Collagen Type 0' that offers an evolutionary ancient scaffold for tissue engineering while eliminating mammalian disease transmission risks associated with bovine or porcine sources.

How They Differentiate

Pioneer in non-mammalian biomaterials specifically for bioprinting; uses jellyfish collagen which is chemically simpler and safer than traditional mammalian sources.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Universities, research laboratories, medical companies, biotech/pharma

Industry Verticals

Regenerative medicine; Tissue engineering; Wound care; Bioprinting; Scientific research

Competitors

CollPlant Biotechnologies (recombinant human collagen for bioprinting), Symatese (medical-grade collagen extraction and transformation), and Regenity (formerly Collagen Solutions, providing medical-grade collagen biomaterials).

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

~14–15 employees (mid-2026); Series A £8.7M (Dec 2022); total funding reported ~$21.3M across rounds; 10,000 sq ft ISO13485 Cardiff facility.

Major Milestones

Incorporated 2013 (Companies House); commercial founding marketed as 2015; Cardiff facility now 10,000 sq ft ISO13485:2016; Copner Biotech bioprinting partnership 2021–22; US patent Nitric Oxide + Collagen delivery (Jul 2025); Royal Biologics strategic partnership & investment (Feb 2026)

Notable Customers

Royal Biologics (strategic partnership and investment)

https://jellagen.co.uk

Why this company matters

AMPulse analysis, not a company disclosure

Jellagen occupies a niche in biomaterials by commercializing Collagen Type 0 derived from jellyfish, a non-mammalian alternative to traditional bovine or porcine collagen. The company addresses the risk of disease transmission and batch variability inherent in mammalian sources, offering a scaffold that is evolutionarily ancient and chemically simpler. Its ISO13485:2016-certified facility in Stirling, UK, supports production for regulated medical applications.

The core product is Collagen Type 0, harvested from jellyfish off the coast of Wales via sustainable marine practices. This collagen is compatible with a wide range of cell types and is marketed for bioprinting, tissue engineering, and wound care. Jellagen's material extrusion (MEX) bioprinting approach allows researchers to print scaffolds without the immune concerns tied to mammalian collagen.

Target customers include universities, research labs, medical device companies, and biopharma firms. Notable partner Royal Biologics has a strategic investment and partnership. Jellagen also works with Copner Biotech to distribute bioprinting products. The company has raised over £6.5 million from investors including Cardiff Capital Region, Development Bank of Wales, and Thai Union Group PCL.

Jellagen's competitive moat lies in being the first commercial manufacturer of jellyfish-derived Collagen Type 0, a position that differentiates it from recombinant human collagen producers like CollPlant Biotechnologies and traditional extractors such as Symatese and Regenity. The open question is whether the material can achieve the same regulatory acceptance and scale as mammalian collagen in clinical tissue engineering applications.