Ponda, the UK-based biomaterials company pioneering regenerative-material supply chains, today announced the close of a £1.8 million seed funding round to commercialise its flagship insulation, BioPuff®. The oversubscribed round was co-led by Faber (Lisbon) and Counteract (London), with participation from PDS Ventures, Evenlode Impact and the Royal College of Art.
This latest raise brings Ponda’s total funding to £5 million, combining venture capital with substantial non-dilutive support from Innovate UK and international recognition through the H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award and King Charles III’s Terra Carta Design Lab.
BioPuff is a first-of-its-kind, plant-based insulation made from Typha, a wetland crop cultivated through paludiculture - the rewetting and sustainable cultivation of degraded peatlands.
By linking material innovation with ecosystem restoration, Ponda’s technology produces a high-performance thermal insulation that is already at multi-tonne production scale. BioPuff has equivalent thermal properties to goose-down whilst being significantly cheaper and grown from plants that regenerate wetlands.
Across the world, degraded peatlands emit 2 Gigatonnes of carbon emissions annually and are a growing flood liability. Ponda partners with landowners to rewet these landscapes, grow fast-renewing Typha crops, and convert the biomass into high-performance fibres. This creates multiple benefits: flood mitigation, as rewetted peatlands act as natural water buffers, absorbing and slowing surface water; climate benefits, as restored wetlands prevent carbon emissions from drained peat soils and increase biodiversity; and circular manufacturing, as Typha fibres are turned into BioPuff, a plant-based, regeneratively sourced alternative to both polyester and goose down.
By cultivating Typha on rewetted land, Ponda transforms a major emissions source into a carbon sink - avoiding up to 30 tonnes of CO2e per hectare per year. At scale, the company estimates its system could enable the regeneration of millions of hectares of wetlands, enabling gigatonne-level reductions in the future.
Founded out of Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, Ponda has grown from a research-driven concept into a commercial venture operating at the intersection of clean manufacturing, regenerative agriculture, and advanced materials. The company’s Bristol facility now houses pilot-scale fibre processing, blending, and prototyping capabilities, allowing Ponda to rapidly test and deliver BioPuff at industrial standards.
Ponda has already partnered with major global brands including Berghaus, Stella McCartney, Parley for the Oceans, and Sheep Inc, providing material prototypes and co-developing garments that demonstrate BioPuff’s performance in real-world conditions.
While Ponda’s early collaborations have focused on outdoor and fashion garments, BioPuff is suitable for a wide range of applications beyond apparel – including soft toys, home textiles, upholstery, bedding and other sectors that require lightweight, warm, and durable insulation.
