𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆'𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀?
From food and cosmetics to coatings and paints — countless products depend on synthetic whitening agents, many of which are now under scrutiny for health and environmental concerns. Seprify, a Swiss deep-tech company, looked to an unlikely hero for inspiration: the brilliantly white scales of a tiny beetle. No pigments, no toxins — just nature's own structural engineering, now ready to replace harmful industrial ingredients across a whole range of sectors.
And the market is taking notice. Seprify has raised 𝗖𝗛𝗙 12.25 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. The round was led by Una Terra Early Growth Fund, with participation from Inter IKEA Group, Zürcher Kantonalbank, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, Kickfund and other circular-economy investors.
Inspired by the microscopic structures found in the scales of the Cyphochilus beetle, Seprify engineers cellulose at the micro- and nano-scale to create materials capable of replacing titanium dioxide (TiO₂) — one of the most widely used industrial whitening agents, now facing mounting regulatory scrutiny and consumer demand for clean-label alternatives. The company's platform addresses applications across food, cosmetics, coatings and advanced materials.
Seprify has already moved from science to commercial traction: last fall, the company announced a 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 Oterra, a global leader in natural colours for the food and beverage industry. The partnership brings Seprify's cellulose-based whitening technology to food manufacturers worldwide, combining Seprify's materials platform with Oterra's formulation expertise and global reach.
This financing will accelerate Seprify's industrial deployment and strengthen its position in the fast-growing market for sustainable, bio-based materials.
Kellerhals Carrard had the privilege of supporting its long standing client Seprify 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 Oterra 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗖 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱:
Dario Silberschmidt, Lead (Partner, Corporate/VC)
Marine Jorio (Associate, Corporate/VC)
Lisa Schmid (Paralegal, Corporate/VC)
Kerim Tbaishat (Partner, Tax)
Andrea Schmutz (Partner, Notarial Services)
𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗖 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱:
Dario Silberschmidt (Partner, Corporate/Commercial)
Eliane Haas (Senior Associate, IP/Commercial)
Vera Vallone (Senior Associate, IP/Commercial)
Warm congratulations to Lukas Schertel, Oliver Polcher and the entire Seprify team on this milestone. We look forward to supporting your continued growth and impact!