As part of our flagship industry support programme, each participating business receives a package of support worth up to £30,000, including:
Round 4 brings together an excellent collection of innovators tackling some of the biggest sustainability challenges of our time, from plastic pollution and food waste to gut health and low-carbon ingredients.
Here’s a closer look at the pioneering companies who were supported on cohort four, and how AberInnovation will help accelerate their journey to market.
Sheep’s wool is one of British farming’s most undervalued by-products, but LanoTech is giving it a brand-new purpose. The company is developing lanolin-based animal feed pellets that offer a sustainable, UK-sourced alternative to imported soy and vegetable oils.
Through the Solutions Catalyst Programme, LanoTech worked with AberInnovation experts to refine formulations and test performance, helping farms reduce reliance on global supply chains while building a stronger circular economy at home.
As industries search for greener materials, PlantSea is leading the charge with plastic-free, seaweed-based soluble films designed to replace polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) in laundry and cleaning products. Their proprietary bioprocessing method could revolutionise how we package and dissolve household cleaning agents.
Supported by the expert team at IBERS, the funding supported the validation and scale of PlantSea's bioprocessing technology, ensuring it can meet the demands of large-scale industrial manufacturing, a major step toward eliminating fossil-derived plastics from our homes.
Colorectal cancer rates are rising among young adults, and low fibre intake is a key contributor. Smith & Goode Foods are tackling this head-on by creating high-fibre convenience foods tailored for Gen-Z, with taste and texture designed to rival the junk foods currently dominating the market.
With support from AberInnovation’s food processing expertise and R&D resources, Smith & Goode is refining prototypes and testing consumer-ready products that make gut-healthy eating genuinely appealing, accessible and enjoyable.
The global food system relies heavily on tropical oils like palm and cocoa butter, yet these supply chains drive deforestation and carbon emissions. Sun Bear Biofuture is developing precision-fermented alternatives that mimic these oils without the environmental cost.
Using AberInnovation’s pilot-scale fermentation and downstream processing facilities, Sun Bear is optimising its extraction processes and scale production of oils such as cocoa butter, palm oil and Melior oil. Their technology has the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 90%, setting a new standard for sustainable ingredients.
The “5th Quarter” - the offal and lesser-used parts of lamb - has long been overlooked in UK food culture. Thomas Bentley Ltd aims to change that by developing new, consumer-friendly products that make better use of these nutritious, sustainable cuts.
Collaborating with AberInnovation and researchers at Aberystwyth University, Thomas Bentley is improving flavour, texture and palatability, helping the domestic market embrace high-quality lamb products that reduce waste and increase carcass value.
In a bid to unlock new circular economy opportunities within the animal feed industry, this exploratory project investigated how fish waste - one of the most underutilised by-products of the marine sector - can be converted into a value-added feedstock. The research focused on using a variety of acids to ensile fish waste.
With AberInnovation’s technical expertise and analytical capabilities, this work was able to determine whether underused materials can be repurposed to enhance the sustainability, circularity and cost-efficiency of fish waste processing.
YPC Feeds in now working with Scotland’s Ocean Cluster group to begin to translate this research into practical reality.
Round 4 of the Solutions Catalyst programme showcases exactly what happens when innovation meets support: bold ideas become testable prototypes, overlooked resources gain new value, and businesses are empowered to push the boundaries of sustainability and new product and process development.
These companies represent the next wave of UK ingenuity, and AberInnovation is proud to help accelerate their journey toward market.
Stay connected with AberInnovation to hear about upcoming business support opportunities and discover how your organisation could benefit from world-class facilities, expert collaboration and innovation-driven funding vouchers.
Have a look at our Development Hub for all programmes of support.