Green Manufacturing
CAMBRIUM
Building a sustainable future, one molecule at a time
Founded:
2020
Located
Berlin, Germany
We invested
Seed
EARTH-FIRST VISION
Cambrium is unlocking the next generation of bio-based materials by leveraging biology’s molecular building blocks to redefine the products we use everyday. Utilizing AI-driven molecular programmability of proteins and precision fermentation, Cambium is transforming sustainable and high-performance products across industries, from personal care to fashion and packaging.
The global protein ingredient industry is valued at $61 billion, with a projected annual growth rate of 7%. Protein ingredients in cosmetics and personal care alone account for $4.9 billion. Cambrium is tapping into a high-growth sector with diverse applications in nutritional and functional ingredients, developing novel bio-based alternatives that are better for people, and the planet.
THE PROBLEM
Look around—almost everything we use today carries an uncomfortable truth. Most materials are sourced from oil fields, strip mines, or slaughterhouses, making them not only unsustainable but also a major driver of the ecological crisis. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from material production have surged by 120%, rising from 5 billion metric tons of CO₂-equivalent (GtCO₂e) in 1995 to 11 Gt in 2015, increasing their share of global emissions from 15% to 23%. As the demand for materials grows, so does their environmental impact.
SOLUTIONS
To decarbonize industries, next-generation sustainable materials must replace conventional, resource-intensive alternatives. Cambrium’s technology platform combines biology, machine learning, and generative AI to design and optimize novel protein molecules for sustainable product innovation.
Cambrium harnesses microbes, not mines; fermentors, not factory farms; and proteins, not petrochemicals. Its flagship product, NovaColl™, is the first micro-molecular, skin-identical collagen, specifically designed for high-efficacy skincare formulations. Unlike traditional collagen extracted from animals, NovaColl™ is produced through precision fermentation, offering a bio-compatible, ethical, and sustainable alternative.
THEIR DNAs
Founded in 2022, Cambrium is a Berlin-based startup driven by an interdisciplinary team of business strategists, materials scientists, molecular biologists and machine learning specialists committed to reinventing materials at the molecular level. Mitchell Duffy, PhD (Co-founder & CEO), holds degrees in Biology & Computer Science (Tufts University), Synthetic Biology (Imperial College London), and Molecular Imaging (University of Münster). Charlie Cotton, PhD (Co-founder & CSO), is an expert in structural biology, with a Biochemistry degree from Cambridge, a PhD from Imperial College London, and postdoctoral research at the Max Planck Institutes.