{"id":174892,"date":"2026-03-26T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T06:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=174892"},"modified":"2026-03-23T11:16:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T10:16:03","slug":"vtt-spinout-elea-lili-raises-eur-2-5-million-to-commercialise-microplastic-free-superabsorbent-material-for-hygiene-and-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/vtt-spinout-elea-lili-raises-eur-2-5-million-to-commercialise-microplastic-free-superabsorbent-material-for-hygiene-and-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"VTT spinout Elea & Lili raises EUR 2.5 million to commercialise microplastic-free superabsorbent material for hygiene and agriculture\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\"Miika
Miika Nikinmaa (left) and Tatu Miettinen (right) \u00a9 Elea & Lili<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Disposable diapers and agricultural water retention products rely on fossil-based superabsorbent polymers (SAP) that contribute to microplastic pollution and persistent plastic waste. Backed by over a decade of biomaterials research at VTT, Elea & Lili is commercialising a cellulose-based alternative designed to replace these materials at an industrial scale – without compromising performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili, a deep-tech startup originating from VTT, has raised EUR 2.5 million in seed funding to industrialise its patented Cellulose Super Absorbent (CSA\u2122) \u2013 a microplastic-free, biodegradable alternative to conventional superabsorbent polymers (SAP). VTT has transferred the underlying technology and IP to the newly established company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u2019s first commercial applications target two massive global markets: disposable diapers and agriculture \u2013 both currently dependent on fossil-based absorbent materials that generate long-lasting plastic waste and microplastic pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The funding was led by Lifeline Ventures and will accelerate pilot production, industrial partnerships, regulatory validation, and first commercial launches in the U.S. and Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The round also included Ikorni Invest Oy Ab, and Baltiska Handels Sverige AB, representing long-term industrial and sustainability-focused capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili is working with leading cellulose and biomaterials companies to scale CSA from pilot to industrial production. These partnerships support the company\u00b4s ambition to build a new global material category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A deep-tech materials platform<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili is fundamentally a biomaterials technology company. Its core innovation, Cellulose Super Absorbent (CSA\u2122), replaces the last non-biodegradable component in modern diapers: fossil-based superabsorbent polymers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The World Economic Forum<\/a> estimates that disposable diapers generate nearly 40 million tons of waste annually. Each child uses approximately 4,000-6,000 diapers, and around 170 billion diapers are produced globally every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSA\u2122 is made from cellulose, is biodegradable and microplastic-free, compatible with existing diaper production lines, and demonstrates absorption performance comparable to conventional SAP. The material has undergone safety and skin compatibility testing in accordance with relevant ISO standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agriculture: an equally strategic entry market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Superabsorbent polymers are widely used in agriculture to retain water and improve nutrient efficiency. The fossil-based polymers in current products are mixed directly into the soil, resulting in permanent plastics ending up in farmland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2028 onwards, EU regulation<\/a> will restrict the use of fossil-based plastic components that persist in soil. CSA\u2122 provides a biodegradable solution for water retention, reduced irrigation demand, improved nutrient delivery, and regenerative agriculture solutions \u2013 without leaving persistent plastic residues in soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHygiene and agriculture are equally strategic entry points for us. In both markets, absorbent materials are mission-critical components \u2013 and today they are fossil-based. We are replacing them with a scalable biomaterial,\u201d says\u00a0Tatu Miettinen, CEO and Co-Founder.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Born from personal conviction \u2013 built on scientific depth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The idea for Elea & Lili began in 2017 when CEO Tatu Miettinen became aware of the environmental footprint of disposable diapers after the birth of his first child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIn 2019, the birth of my daughter Elea was medically complex and involved time in neonatal intensive care. The experience profoundly reshaped our family\u2019s perspective. At that moment I decided: if she recovers, I will dedicate myself to building something meaningful and sustainable for the next generation,\u201d says Miettinen.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n

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\"Elea
Elea & Lili processing in Lab
\u00a9 Elea & Lili <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Today, Elea & Lili holds a patent family built on over a decade of biomaterials research conducted at VTT and transferred to the company. The team combines biomaterials science, industrial scale-up expertise, and commercial execution capabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Large markets, structural demand shift<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The global diaper market is projected to reach USD 141.2 billion by 2030. The global superabsorbent polymers market is expected to reach USD 13.2 billion by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consumer and regulatory pressure are accelerating the transition towards sustainable materials. Elea & Lili positions itself at the intersection of deep-tech materials science, waste & climate impact, and industrial scalability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWe are not creating a niche eco-product. We are replacing a global material category,\u201d says Miettinen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What the funding enables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The EUR 2.5 million seed round will be used to scale pilot production of CSA\u2122, advance industrial validation, develop first commercial diaper products, accelerate agricultural field trials, and expand the core team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“I have been waiting for a non-fossil alternative, and Finland\u2019s top expertise in biomaterials makes it natural for it to emerge from here. Today, a good part of those 170 billion diapers remains in our soils forever, and we grow food in microplastics,” says\u00a0Timo Ahopelto, Founding Partner of Lifeline Ventures.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVTT\u2019s role is to accelerate growth, renew industries and strengthen resilience through technology and innovations. Creating new startups and supporting growth companies is one of the core aspects of our impact, and this startup is a great example\u201d, says\u00a0Atte Virtanen, Vice President for Biomaterial processing and products at VTT.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Contacts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili Ltd 
Tatu Miettinen, CEO
tatu@elealili.com<\/a>, tel. +358 400 814 133<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Atte Virtanen, Vice President
atte.virtanen@vtt.fi<\/a>, tel. +358 505 779 770<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

About Elea & Lili Ltd<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili is a deep-tech biomaterials company developing microplastic-free superabsorbent materials based on patented cellulose technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company\u00b4s mission is to eliminate microplastics from hygiene and agricultural absorbent applications by replacing petroleum-based SAP with biodegradable cellulose-based alternatives. www.elealili.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elea & Lili \u2013 For Generations of Compassion and Care<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Disposable diapers and agricultural water retention products rely on fossil-based superabsorbent polymers (SAP) that contribute to microplastic pollution and persistent plastic waste. Backed by over a decade of biomaterials research at VTT, Elea & Lili is commercialising a cellulose-based alternative designed to replace these materials at an industrial scale – without compromising performance. Elea & […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":174917,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Backed by over a decade of biomaterials research at VTT, Elea & Lili is commercialising a cellulose-based alternative designed to replace common materials at an industrial scale","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[11270,13442,26673,13860,20652],"supplier":[27711,459],"class_list":["post-174892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-biodegradability","tag-biomaterial","tag-cellulosebased","tag-diapers","tag-superabsorbents","supplier-elea-lili","supplier-vtt-technical-research-centre-of-finland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174892"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":174932,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174892\/revisions\/174932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174892"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=174892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}