Swiss scale-up DePoly moves from incubation to industrial scale
The journey from a laboratory breakthrough to an industrial-scale solution is rarely a straight line. However, for Swiss scale-up DePoly, a structured pathway from early-stage incubation to growth capital is proving that the right support at the right time can fundamentally change the trajectory of climate innovation. With a showcase plant opening this year and CHF 50 million already secured in formal commercial agreements, DePoly is no longer just a “promising pilot.” It is a market leader in the making.
For DePoly, a cleantech company developing advanced chemical recycling, the roots of this success trace back to 2020. At a time when the venture was still in its formative stages, Climate KIC provided €80,000 in pre-seed funding as part of its accelerator programme. This was followed by a pivotal six-month incubation with US-based MassChallenge, which helped facilitate the company’s spinoff and sharpened its commercial focus.
Today, that initial acceleration support has evolved into a formidable corporate and investment coalition, supported technically and commercially by industry leaders like BASF, Beiersdorf, and Syensqo. Depoly’s unique approach has also attracted backing from the Circular Economy growth fund of Una Terra, a founding partner of Climate KIC’s “Investing for 1.5 °C” initiative.
Redefining the lifecycle of plastic
While mechanical recycling is often limited by the quality and purity of the feedstock, DePoly has developed a low-energy depolymerisation process that operates at room temperature. Their technology breaks down PET plastics and polyester fabrics into their original chemical building blocks, allowing for the creation of virgin-quality materials from waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill or incineration.
”Climate KIC was there when DePoly was just a vision of what chemical recycling could be,” says Samantha Anderson, CEO and Co-founder of DePoly. “The €80,000 in pre-seed funding and the early acceleration support provided us with a framework to measure our climate impact rigorously. Now, with Una Terra’s expertise in scaling circular models, we are ready to move from pilot to industrial reality, ensuring that PET plastic never has to end up in our oceans or landfills again.”
The transition from a Climate KIC graduate to an Una Terra portfolio company is the Investing for 1.5°C initiative in action. By identifying transformative solutions early on and providing them with technical and financial foundations, Climate KIC de-risks these ventures for partner investors like Una Terra.
DePoly’s showcase plant in Valais, Switzerland, is scheduled to be operational in the first half of 2026. This facility will allow the company to work at scale with a roster of high-profile customers.
Next up is the first commercial plant for which planning is in full swing. CHF 50 million already committed and a growing commercial pipeline prove strong demand for DePoly’s “oil-equivalent” monomers.
Luca Zerbini, Co-founder and CEO of Una Terra says: “At Una Terra, we look for companies that don’t just participate in the circular economy but fundamentally redefine it. DePoly’s technology is a game changer because it removes the ‘purity’ barrier that has held back plastic recycling for decades. Partnering with Climate KIC allows us to identify these high-potential ventures early. DePoly fits perfectly into our asset-light, high-impact investment thesis, and we are thrilled to support their transition into this next stage of global growth.”
This milestone serves as a proof point for Climate KIC’s broader mission: orchestrating innovation to trigger systemic change. It demonstrates that when we align early-stage technical support with impact-driven capital, we can accelerate the deployment of the solutions required to meet global climate targets.
“The journey of DePoly from our 2020 accelerator is a testament to the power of collaboration and partnership with a bold, shared vision for the future” says Kirsten Dunlop, CEO of Climate KIC. “To transform our economies away from hydrocarbons and wasteful materials’ use, we cannot rely on incremental changes; we need to fundamentally transform entire industries. Our Investing for 1.5°C initiative is designed to achieve a massive scale-up of capital going toward the solutions required for a net-zero future with attention to systems change outcomes. DePoly is a fantastic example of that vision coming to life.
As DePoly moves into its next phase of industrial deployment, the success of this model offers a clear signal to the market. By bridging the gap between incubation and institutional investment, the path to a circular economy becomes an achievable reality.
Climate KIC continues to expand this ecosystem of transformation. We invite like-minded investors to join us in this journey, helping to identify and scale the next generation of climate-essential ventures. Click here to learn more.