ZealaFoam Holdings Ltd

ZealaFoam Holdings Ltd is a New Zealand-based company that provides a sustainable, plant-based alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS). The company utilizes patented technology to expand plant-derived polylactic acid (PLA) beads with CO2 as a blowing agent. This material is designed as a drop-in solution, allowing manufacturers to integrate the technology into existing production lines without requiring new machinery. The resulting foam offers physical properties, such as insulation and strength, that are comparable to traditional polystyrene while being derived entirely from renewable materials.

The company aims to address the global environmental challenges posed by traditional petrochemical-based plastics by targeting markets such as cold-chain packaging, including chilled produce and vaccine carriers, as well as consumer applications like bean bag fill. Supported by partnerships with New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes and Bridgewest Ventures, ZealaFoam focuses on scaling its commercial operations. By providing a bio-based product that decomposes safely, the company seeks to reduce the environmental footprint of industries that rely heavily on foam packaging, moving toward a more circular economy.