A Brisbane startup developing waterproof coatings for packaging and ensuring they are still recyclable has raised $1.85 million in a pre-Seed round.

and strength without compromising its ability to be recycled or composted. It is a potential replacement for the current solution of wax or plastic coated packaging.

The Paperbarc is suitable for bulk and secondary packaging applications in the agricultural and food supply chain that require water resistance, including seafood and fruits and vegetables.

The round was co-led by agritech fund Tenacious Ventures and impact VC Investible, with support from the Twynam Earth Fund, a decarbonization fund, and Closed Loop Partners, a New York-based circular economy investor.

The money raised will be used to scale up Paperbarc’s production, ramp up sales and marketing, and expand the startup’s intellectual property portfolio.

Co-founders Albert Tietz, Fiona Donaghey, Anthony Musumeci and Melissa Mail have collaborated on several projects including early stage commercialization initiatives, startup investment opportunities and materials consulting projects before launching their materials science startup last year.

Musumeci said the company recently reached a major milestone with the completion of a commercial-scale manufacturing run in the US. Paperbarc also received 100% USDA Biobased Product Label certification and the opportunity to participate in the USDA Biopreferred program.

“I am grateful for the incredible support of our investors, who share our unwavering passion for sustainability and circularity, and who genuinely believe in our mission to create a better future for all,” he said.

“We are excited about the early success we achieved and can’t wait to explore future opportunities to scale our technology and continue to create a positive impact.”

Investible investment manager Ben Lindsay said they were impressed with the persistence the co-founders have shown in building the coating technology.

“The Earthodic team brings a strong mix of research and commercial insight, manufacturing and expertise in sustainable materials, perfectly aligned with the problems they are addressing,” he said.