Cambridge-based waste-to-SAF startup lands $2.5M pre-seed funding

In the UK, Neela Biotech, the Cambridge-based biotech startup turning waste into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), has raised £2.1 million in pre-seed funding to take its technology from the lab to a pilot-scale trial at a biogas plant over the next two years.

The investment comes as the aviation industry searches for a way to scale sustainable fuel production beyond today’s limited feedstock supply – a challenge sharpened by this year’s spike in global jet fuel prices.

Neela Biotech transforms diverse waste streams from food, agriculture and forest residue, into sustainable aviation fuel through an AI-guided, controlled microbial process. The process converts these waste streams into fatty acids, a critical precursor for HEFA-based SAF production, unlocking an abundant new feedstock in place of scarce waste cooking oils.

Tags: Neela Biotech, SAF, UK

Category: Fuels