By transforming fungal-derived chitosan into functional and tunable biopolymers, the company is affecting a shift away from synthetic and petrochemical ingredients in the cosmetics and specialty chemicals industries
5 Sep 2025, SINGAPORE — Greenitio, a Singapore-based startup developing functional biopolymers for cosmetics and specialty chemical applications, has raised US$1.5 million in Seed funding to accelerate its path to commercial readiness. The round was led by SGInnovate, with participation from Better Bite Ventures, Silverstrand Capital, and several existing investors and angels from the chemicals and cosmetics industries. With the new investment, Greenitio plans to scale manufacturing, advance regulatory approvals, and expand commercial partnerships with global cosmetics and chemical companies.
Founded in 2021, Greenitio has developed a proprietary, patented green chemistry process to produce sustainable bio-based polymers, serving as direct replacements for microplastic- and petrochemical-based ingredients used in cosmetics, personal and home care, and specialty chemical applications. The water-based method eliminates chemical waste, lowers carbon footprint by up to 87% compared to conventional chemistry, and achieves roughly three times the cost-efficiency of comparable bio-based alternative ingredients.
The process yields high-performance biopolymers that are cationic and tunable, and which can be seamlessly incorporated into water-soluble, oil-dispersible, and emulsion-compatible formulation systems. Derived primarily from fungal chitosan, they also deliver multiple benefits including film formation, deep moisturisation, SPF boosting, anti-inflammation, and active ingredient delivery.
The company’s flagship biopolymer lines—Chitosola™, Chitobe™, and Chitobela™—deliver multifunctional performance for skin, sun, and hair care applications. All three have already been listed in the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI), and are registered with the Inventory of Existing Cosmetic Ingredients in China (IECIC). Meanwhile, several other materials are transitioning from R&D into pilot production to meet commercial demand.
“This fundraise gives us the runway to move from lab-scale proof to real-world deployment, supported by strong interest from formulation, sustainability and innovation teams across both the personal care and industrial value chains,” said Dr. Amit Kumar Khan, CEO and Co-founder, Greenitio.
"Innovation is central to the global push toward decarbonisation, and we remain committed to supporting companies like Greenitio that harness emerging technologies to build a more sustainable future", said Mr. Hsien-Hui Tong, Executive Director – Investments, SGInnovate. “We look forward to partnering with the company to support its growth, as it scales to drive the adoption of cleaner alternative ingredients across major global industries.”
“We’re excited by Greenitio’s potential across multiple industries, from replacing microplastics in personal care to extending shelf life and enabling more sustainable packaging in the food sector, while helping to lower emissions,” said Mr. Simon Newstead, Founding Partner, Better Bite Ventures.
The firm currently operates an integrated R&D and pilot facility in Singapore, covering end-to-end product development from molecule design to application testing. To meet growing demand from European partners, Greenitio will also establish a dedicated subsidiary in Benelux. The Benelux hub will support customer collaborations, and commercial scale-up across Europe, leveraging the region’s central location and its strong chemical and cosmetics industry ecosystem.
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Zachary Wickeremasuriya
Manager, Communications
SGInnovate
[email protected]
About Greenitio
Greenitio is a Singapore-based materials technology company pioneering the development of sustainable, functional biopolymers for the cosmetics, personal care, home care, and specialty chemicals industries. Through its patented green chemistry platform, the company transforms fungal-derived chitosan into high-performance biopolymers that seamlessly replace microplastic- and petrochemical-derived ingredients, delivering SPF-boosting, film-forming performance, water-resistance properties, anti-inflammatory, deep moisturisation, and other benefits while cutting environmental impact.
Working with brands and manufacturers worldwide, Greenitio provides both fully-certified off-the-shelf additives alongside bespoke formulations, advancing a circular, bio-based future without compromises on cost, safety, and efficacy.
For more information, please visit greenitio.com.
About SGInnovate
SGInnovate is a Deep Tech ecosystem builder and investor, backed by the Singapore Government. Our expertise and approach combines investments, talent development and community-building to catalyse the translation of emerging technologies into tomorrow’s opportunities.
Through our flagship Deep Tech Central platform, we connect individuals, founders and companies to specialised resources and opportunities across all technological domains and stages of growth. Our portfolio of emerging tech startups comprises some of the most promising companies leading the commercialisation of research developed from Singapore’s RIE ecosystem.
Connect with us at SGInnovate.com.
About Better Bite Ventures
Better Bite Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund backing innovation in food, agriculture, and climate tech across Asia Pacific. We partner with visionary founders building scalable solutions to some of the region’s biggest climate challenges. For more information, please visit betterbite.vc.