Ecoatex transforms agricultural and marine byproducts—such as nutshells, crop residues, and seaweed—into advanced cellulose-based materials using a patent-pending green-chemistry process.
The platform produces engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates for packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and other industrial applications.
By converting waste biomass into fully biodegradable, renewable materials that eliminate toxic chemicals and reduce water, energy, and carbon footprints, Ecoatex enables scalable, circular manufacturing using existing manufacturing equipment, helping manufacturers lower material costs, reduce reliance on fossil-based inputs, and adopt lower-impact alternatives without major process changes.
Ecoatex is a biomaterials technology company that transforms agricultural and marine byproducts—nutshells, crop residues, and seaweed—into engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates.
These bio-based materials enable the production of advanced cellulose materials for packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and other industrial applications, using existing manufacturing equipment and reducing reliance on fossil-based inputs.
Market Challenge & Opportunity
Today’s materials industries rely heavily on petroleum-based coatings, packaging materials, and industrial inputs, generating over 1.3 billion tons of CO₂ annually, releasing microplastics, and using toxic chemicals while remaining exposed to petrochemical price volatility and supply shocks.
Billions of pounds of agricultural residues are discarded or burned each year, creating an opportunity to convert low-value biomass into high-performance material inputs. Existing sustainable alternatives often lack scalability, full biodegradability, cost competitiveness, or compatibility with existing manufacturing systems.
Ecoatex Advantage
Ecoatex’s patent-pending process isolates and regenerates cellulose and lignin under mild, solvent-minimized conditions, delivering up to 80% less water and 50% less energy than conventional methods.
The platform produces engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates for packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and other industrial applications.
Backed by grants from USDA, EPA, NSF, GRA, and Beam Circular, Ecoatex operates a pilot-scale R&D lab and has demonstrated advanced cellulose materials and coated-material systems with performance aligned with industrial applications.
Ecoatex’s mission: replace non-renewable inputs with scalable, renewable materials that reduce reliance on fossil-based inputs and create value for farmers and manufacturers.
Leadership Team
- Dr. Raha Saremi – Founder and CEO
Materials scientist with over a decade of experience in sustainable polymers, nanocellulose, and textile innovation. Inventor of three pending and one granted patent; principal investigator on multiple SBIR awards from USDA, EPA, and NSF. - Dr. Anne McInnis – Chief Product Officer
Extensive experience developing products for global fashion and home brands. - Dr. Reza Zarei – Chief Operating Officer
Oversees analytics and process scale-up. - Haley Jo Brashears – R&D Manager
Leads lab operations and material testing.
Strategic Advisors
Ecoatex is supported by advisors Stacy Chick, Sean Cook, Dr. Sanjay Wahal, Dr. Jaap Schut, and Dr. Chris Cornelison, providing guidance in product development, market entry, and commercialization of renewable materials.
Ecoatex’s go-to-market strategy follows a staged approach to commercialize its engineered cellulose materials platform.
Near-Term Focus
- Supply engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates to manufacturers in packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and regenerated fibers.
- Materials are designed to integrate into existing manufacturing equipment, reducing switching costs and supporting faster adoption.
Longer-Term Expansion
- Expand into additional industrial applications and downstream coated-material systems.
- Target markets: coated materials, nonwovens, packaging, regenerated fibers, and other industrial applications.
Partnerships & Revenue Model
Building strategic relationships across the value chain:
- Feedstock partnerships with agricultural processors and biomass suppliers.
- Commercial partnerships with packaging, coated-material, nonwoven, and regenerated-fiber manufacturers for co-development, validation, and pilot programs.
Revenue through material sales, formulation and technical development services, joint development agreements, and potential licensing. Supported by accelerator programs and non-dilutive funding, Ecoatex is preparing for pre-seed investment to expand pilot operations and secure supply and customer partnerships.
Ecoatex generates revenue through sales of engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates to manufacturers in packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, regenerated fibers, and other industrial applications.
Core Offerings
- Engineered cellulose materials, nanocellulose, and specialty cellulose intermediates from agricultural and marine byproducts.
- Material inputs and formulations designed to replace fossil-based materials using existing manufacturing equipment.
Revenue Streams
- Near-term: Pilot-scale material sales for prototyping, qualification, and validation.
- Mid-term: Long-term supply contracts and co-development agreements with manufacturers.
- Platform expansion: Coating formulations, specialty cellulose intermediates, and downstream coated-material systems for multiple market entry points.
Low-cost waste feedstock strategy provides economic advantage. Scaling production will increase customer volume, improve margins, and establish Ecoatex as a reliable supplier of high-performance, renewable material inputs.
The Southeast Venture Showcase offers Ecoatex an ideal platform to connect with investors for their $1 million pre-seed round and to build strategic partnerships with manufacturers in packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and other sectors.
Ecoatex has advanced its biomaterials platform to pilot-scale production in a dedicated R&D facility with custom fractionation, casting, and coating systems.
Key Achievements
- Validated core process through federally funded projects (USDA NIFA, EPA SBIR Phase I, NSF I-Corps).
- Produced engineered cellulose materials and coated-material systems with performance aligned with industrial applications.
- Life-cycle analysis shows up to 80% less water, 50% lower energy, and 30% fewer carbon emissions.
- Pilot-scale samples provided to manufacturers for evaluation.
Current & Next Steps
Optimizing for consistency and scalability; expanding feedstock base (walnut/almond shells via Beam Circular). Preparing pilot-scale and demonstration-scale manufacturing to support supply agreements and commercial validation in packaging, coated materials, nonwovens, and regenerated-fiber applications.
Ecoatex is seeking $1 million in pre-seed investment to scale its engineered cellulose materials platform from pilot validation to demonstration scale and accelerate commercial traction.
The funding will enable expansion to a modular demonstration facility for continuous manufacturing of engineered cellulose materials, coating formulations, and specialty cellulose intermediates.
Use of Proceeds
| Percentage | Allocation | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 50% | Facility Build-Out & Equipment | Scale production capacity for pilot and demonstration-scale manufacturing. |
| 20% | Operational Growth | Expand team and operations. |
| 20% | R&D and IP Protection | Process optimization, application validation, and intellectual property. |
| 10% | Market Development & Customer Acquisition | Strengthen partnerships, run pilot programs, and secure offtake agreements. |
This raise builds on over $500,000 in non-dilutive funding and pending SBIR Phase II awards. The investment will support pilot-scale execution, third-party validation, early revenue, and a clearer path to commercial scale.
