Monday, February 23, 2026

Foamlab: Bacterial Nanocellulose Foam to Replace Polystyrene

Dutch start-up Foamlab is leveraging bacterial nanocellulose to offer an alternative to polystyrene. While the company is currently focusing primarily on the construction, fashion, and footwear markets, additional applications are already being considered in the medium term.

Founded in 2022 as part of a research project at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), Foamlab is developing a bacterial nanocellulose-based foam designed as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics and expanded materials.

The company cultivates nanocellulose—a naturally high-performance biomaterial known for its strength, purity, and versatility—through a bacterial fermentation process (notably using the genera Komagataeibacter and Gluconacetobacter). Unlike plant-derived cellulose, which contains lignin and hemicellulose, bacterial cellulose is regarded as the purest form of cellulose.

This process produces a fine and dense fiber network, resulting in a final material with a highly porous nanofibrillar structure that is exceptionally lightweight. The foam is manufactured without synthetic binders, crosslinking agents, or petrochemical compounds.

According to Foamlab, the material’s density can be adjusted during the fermentation and drying stages. “By controlling pore size during processing, we determine the material’s density. It can range from a soft, airy, silky cotton-like material to an extremely dense structure. Surface effects can also be engineered to order,” a Foamlab spokesperson explains.