Epoch

Epoch Biodesign is a London-based synthetic biology company using AI-designed enzymes to recycle end-of-life plastic and textile waste at commercial scale. Founded in 2019, the company combines generative AI and advanced synthetic biology to develop ultra-low-emission enzymatic recycling processes that produce virgin-quality materials from mixed waste streams including polyester and nylon. Its platform designs tens of thousands of novel plastic-eating enzymes, achieving speed improvements of up to 25x over natural enzymes. The company has raised over $50 million in total funding, with strategic investors including Inditex (Zara), Extantia Capital, and Lululemon, and has signed commercial agreements with INVISTA for recycled nylon 6,6.