Viridi, a Southampton-based deep-tech company specialising in carbon utilisation, has secured €2.6 million in Series A funding to accelerate the commercialisation of its CO₂-based surfactant technology and enter new geographic markets.
The funding round was led by Odyssey Ventures, with participation from Alphatron Impact Ventures, TOP Ventures, and existing angel investors. The investment brings Viridi’s total funding to €5.9 million since its establishment in 2020 as a spin-out from the University of Southampton.
The capital will be deployed to scale the company’s proprietary technology platform, expand its team, and support commercial expansion into Asia and the United States. Viridi’s approach transforms captured CO₂ into chemical building blocks, offering an alternative to conventional petroleum-based processes in the production of surfactants — compounds widely used across personal care, cleaning products, and industrial applications.
Validation and strategic partnerships
Dr Daniel Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of Viridi, highlighted the significance of the investor consortium in the company’s development trajectory. “Having a strategic partner like TOP Ventures look closely at our technology, see its value and choose to back it at this stage is strong validation of what we’ve built,” Stewart said. “We’ll be working closely with them to deliver our technology to market, starting in Asia. With Odyssey Ventures supporting our growth in the US, we now have partners who can help us take CO₂-based surfactants to the world.”
The backing reflects growing investor confidence in carbon utilisation technologies as companies and policymakers intensify efforts to meet climate targets. The surfactants market represents a significant opportunity for CO₂-derived alternatives, with conventional production methods accounting for substantial carbon emissions across the chemical manufacturing sector.
Market opportunity and expansion
The chemical manufacturing industry is undergoing a transition towards sustainable production methods, creating conditions for technologies that can reduce reliance on fossil fuel feedstocks. Viridi’s approach addresses this demand by offering a commercially viable pathway to produce chemicals using captured carbon dioxide.
The company’s focus on Asia and North American markets positions it to capitalise on regional demand for sustainable chemical solutions, particularly in personal care and household cleaning segments where consumer and regulatory pressure for lower-carbon products continues to mount.
European deep-tech momentum
Viridi’s Series A success contributes to a broader trend of European deep-tech companies securing significant capital to tackle climate and sustainability challenges. British ventures in carbon capture, utilisation, and storage have attracted increasing international investor attention, with venture capital firms from across Europe and beyond recognising the commercial potential of climate technology innovation. The involvement of multiple specialised investors in this round underscores the growing ecosystem support available to companies developing solutions that address carbon reduction at scale.