The total amount of the round was raised 2.63 billion yen. Accelerate research and development (R&D) and global business development

Polymer EF Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Okinawa/ Founder and CEO: Narayan Lal Gharjar; hereinafter “EF Polymer”), which develops 100% naturally derived super absorbent polymers, raised funds through a third-party allotment of shares as the second close of the Series B round. Investors from various industries participated in this second close, and together with the first close, a total procurement of 2.63 billion yen was completed. Through this procurement, we will further accelerate global expansion and research and development of sustainable solutions.

Our business progress

Expansion of sales and business areas

• Cumulative sales reached 500 tons. As a result, more than 5,000 tons of crop residue were upcycled, contributing to the realization of sustainable agriculture and a resource-recycling society.
• We will proceed with the demonstration of EF polymers mainly in regions affected by droughts, such as France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, and aim to expand sales.
• In addition to agricultural applications, it aims to be applied in a wide range of fields, such as raw materials for cosmetics and daily necessities, the ice pack “Cy-Cool”, and absorbent sheets.

Other certifications and awards

• The Rajasthan plant in India has obtained international standards “ISO 14001,” “ISO 9001,” and “ISO 45001.”
• Obtained organic material certification “OMRI” in the US market.
• Founder and CEO Narayan Ghaljal was selected as “Forbes Japan 30 Under 30.”
• There is also support for the introduction of JETRO, and it is developing markets around the world. Listed on 2025 Top 50 AgTech as a THRIVE Rising Star by US THRIVE. Won the US SVG Ventures pitch contest.

Research and development (R&D) priority areas

The themes we focus on in the R&D area are as follows.

• Diversification of raw materials: Development of polymers using raw materials other than orange and banana peels
• Building a Resource Recycling Model: Establishing Sustainable Manufacturing Processes
• New product development in the agricultural field: development of products combining EF polymers with other products
• Strengthening production systems: Verification and construction for global multi-site production
• Application of technology, development of new products: application development other than agricultural applications

Series B round funding

Through this funding, we aim for further business growth by accelerating and deepening research in research and development (R&D) and strengthening our global system for business development.

• Impact Capital 1 Investment Limited Partnership
• AgVenture Lab
• Amami Okinawa Investment Limited Partnership (GP: Kagoshima Development Co., Ltd.)
• Emma Enterprise Co., Ltd.
• Hokuyo SDGs Promotion No. 3 Investment Limited Partnership (GP: Hokkaido Co-Creation Partners Co., Ltd.)
• Decarbonization Support Organization Co., Ltd.
• Kyoritsu Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Marissa Estate International Co., Ltd.
• OLtv Opportunity Fund Investment Limited Partnership (GP: Lifetime Ventures)
• Soken Chemical Co., Ltd.
• SVG Ventures Sunrise Agri Fund GP, LLC
• Okinawa Development Finance Corporation
• TOPPAN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
• Toyota Gosei Co., Ltd.

　　(in no particular order)

About business synergy with investment companies

EF Polymer creates business synergies through collaboration with investment companies led by Universal Materials Incubator (UMI), which is the lead investor, and works to further strengthen development and accelerate business promotion.

• Soken Chemical: Joint development of absorbent sheets and product development in the cosmetics and agriculture fields
• SVG Ventures: Contributing to a stable supply of tomatoes for processing through collaboration in global tomato cultivation developed by Kagome
• TOPPAN Holdings: Collaboration in the production of various next-generation products

Narayan Lal Gharjal, founder and CEO of EF PolymersIt is stated as follows. “Our mission is to tackle water scarcity and environmental issues, and to enrich the lives of producers and society as a whole. Through Series B round funding, we will further accelerate progress towards a sustainable future with partners who share EF Polymer's vision.”

Recruiting Information

EF Polymer aims for further business growth in the future, and is looking for members who can sympathize with our vision and push forward together. Recruitment is being strengthened for positions such as R&D research staff (agricultural field/chemical field/fermentation field) and R&D research assistants (bioresearch).

About EF Polymer

EF Polymer Co., Ltd. is a deep tech startup born in India and raised in Okinawa. Residues that have been discarded conventionally, such as orange and banana peels, are upcycled, and “EF Polymer,” a 100% naturally derived super absorbent polymer, is manufactured and sold as agricultural materials. We also support corporate green transformation (GX) by promoting the application of fully organic polymers as raw materials for daily necessities, cosmetics, and medical products. Through the dissemination of our technology, we aim to solve environmental problems centered on water scarcity.https://efpolymer.jp/

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