Ponda has closed a $2.4 million seed round to accelerate the commercialization of BioPuff, its plant-based insulation material derived from Typha, a wetland crop with regenerative environmental benefits. The investment will support the company’s plans to expand production, advance product development, and bring its material to broader commercial adoption.
Founded out of Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, the UK-based biomaterials company has already established partnerships with major brands including Berghaus, Stella McCartney, Parley for the Oceans, and Sheep Inc. Through these collaborations, the company has delivered prototypes and co-developed garments that demonstrate BioPuff’s real-world performance. Ponda states that BioPuff offers thermal qualities comparable to goose down at a significantly lower cost.
The company highlights that Typha cultivation restores degraded peatlands, which are responsible for releasing two gigatonnes of carbon emissions annually worldwide. By working with landowners to rewet peat landscapes and grow Typha, Ponda supports flood mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, and reduced carbon emissions, creating a materials supply chain designed to be regenerative from the ground up.
Ponda’s founding team first developed the concept during their time in the joint Innovation Design Engineering Master’s programme between Imperial and the Royal College of Art. Their early progress included participation in Imperial’s Venture Catalyst Challenge in 2020, where they secured their first funding. The company has continued to receive institutional support from Imperial, including legal guidance through the Greentech Legal Collaborative and a Venture Trek to New York that expanded connections in the US fashion industry and among entrepreneurial alumni.
Already operating at multi-tonne production levels, Ponda plans to use the funding to refine BioPuff, deepen customer collaborations, and accelerate commercial readiness. Early use cases have centered on outdoor and fashion products such as jackets and sleeping bags. And the company’s Bristol-based pilot facility also supports testing for applications including upholstery, bedding, soft toys, and other sectors that require lightweight, durable insulation.
Ponda has also joined the first cohort of Earthscale, a UK-wide initiative led by Imperial that connects climate technology startups with technical expertise from universities across regional hubs.
