SurfAce Cleantech moves compostable coating towards industrial scale

Swiss startup SurfAce Cleantech has raised CHF 250,000 in pre-seed funding to accelerate the industrial development of a composite coating designed to improve the mechanical performance of compostable flexible packaging films.

The company, based at EPFL Innovation Park, is developing a patent-pending coating that reinforces bioplastic films without compromising their compostability.

The new funding will support industrial optimisation, certification work and additional large-scale trials as the company moves towards commercial readiness.

Coating enables thinner compostable films

SurfAce says its technology can increase film strength by more than 30%, allowing manufacturers to reduce material thickness by up to 30% while maintaining the mechanical properties required for packaging applications.

Reducing film thickness can lower both material consumption and logistics costs, helping address one of the main barriers to wider adoption of compostable packaging: its higher cost compared with conventional plastic.

The company estimates that the resulting packaging could be around 15% less expensive than current compostable alternatives.

Existing flexographic equipment can apply the coating

One of the main advantages of the technology is its compatibility with established flexible packaging production infrastructure.

The coating can be applied using conventional flexographic printing machines in a process similar to ink printing and is designed to work with existing anilox rollers.

SurfAce says the application does not reduce printing speed, which could allow converters to introduce the technology without major investment in new coating or production equipment.

Pattern printing optimises reinforcement only where needed

The system also allows the coating to be printed in strategic patterns rather than across the entire surface of the film.

This means reinforcement can be concentrated in areas exposed to greater mechanical stress while minimising the amount of coating required elsewhere.

The company is now refining these pattern and zone-printing techniques as part of its industrial optimisation programme.

Compostability certification remains a key milestone

SurfAce intends to certify the complete solution as compostable under European standard EN 13432.

Maintaining compostability while increasing strength is important because conventional reinforcement methods can introduce polymers or additives that interfere with the intended end-of-life pathway.

Further third-party testing and industrial trials will therefore focus on demonstrating that the coating can deliver consistent performance without compromising biodegradation requirements.

Funding supports transition from trials to commercial product

The CHF 250,000 round was backed by Swiss business angels and the HSG START Accelerator and follows earlier financial support from the Foundation for Innovation and Technology.

SurfAce has previously received a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan to support product development, market testing and certification activities.

The company says the latest funding will also allow it to expand its team as it progresses from laboratory and pilot validation towards industrial deployment.

Market launch targeted for early 2027

SurfAce is targeting market readiness during the first quarter of 2027, subject to successful industrial trials and certification.

The company ultimately plans to supply the material as a coating and potentially license the technology to film extruders and converters in different markets.

If successfully commercialised, the solution could help close the performance and cost gap between compostable films and conventional flexible plastics, enabling broader use of compostable packaging in applications where mechanical strength has previously been a limitation.