Yokohama Japan - JGC Holdings,Inc (Chairman of the Board and CEO, Masayuki Sato) and JGC JAPAN Corporation (President and CEO, Shoji Yamada) announced the decision to invest in AmicaTerra (Chairman and Managing Director, Koji Masuda) through corporate venture capital (CVC) fund. AmicaTerra is one of start-up company that manufactures materials derived from plants that can be used alternatives materials to plastics.

Recently, ocean and soil pollution by plastics has become a serious social issue. The increase in carbon dioxide emissions associated with the incineration and disposal of plastic waste has also become an issue, and the movement toward plastic resource recycling and the elimination of plastics is accelerating around the world.

Against this backdrop, Amica Terra manufactures 'modo-cell^®'; An alternative material to plastics that uses cellulose as its main raw material.

modo-cell^® is a material made by drying and powdering cellulose-containing plants and mixing them with starch and other ingredients. The system can utilize resources that have not been used in the past, such as bamboo from bamboo forests and plant residues discharged from food and beverage factories, without waste. It is also biodegradable* in the natural world.

• ※Biodegradation is the process of decomposition to the molecular level by the action of microorganisms, and the final products are carbon dioxide and water, which are circulated back to the natural world (Source: http://www.jbpaweb.net/gp/).

AmicaTerra is working to replace existing plastic products with modo-cell^® material. As well as manufacturing and selling their own straws, the company is strengthening its partnerships with cutlery and tableware manufacturers and end users.

In this production, existing facilities for making plastic products can be utilized. In addition, modo-cell^® products can be crushed and re-pelletized after use, thus contributing to 'material recycling' by reusing waste materials as products and raw materials.

Through the CVC Fund, JGC Group aims to 'achieve carbon neutrality,' 'build sustainable and resilient infrastructure,' 'improve the quality of life for the next 100 years,' and 'make industry smarter' and will focus on innovative technologies and businesses that contribute to the creation of a safe, secure, and sustainable social system. To these ends, we invest in domestic and international startups with innovative technologies and business models that contribute to the creation of socially beneficial systems.

Through this investment, JGC Japan will cooperate in optimizing the basic design, equipment selection and procurement for modo-cell^® manufacturing facilities, and will support the establishment of a modo-cell^® mass production system.

To promote the use of modo-cell^®, we will collaborate with food companies, local governments, restaurants, and other organizations that are interested in the use of waste materials and participate in modo-cell development to contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral and recycling-oriented society.

The JGC Group will continue to invest in startups with innovative technologies and business models to build safe, secure, and sustainable social systems.

• NEWS inquiries - Click here

• News Releases