A company co-founded by an InsiderMedia Rising Star that aims to make laundry capsules plastic-free has hit 119 per cent of its crowdfunding target as it embarks on expansion plans.

PlantSea aims to see plastic-free laundry and dishwasher capsules available in every supermarket. To date, 304 investors have backed a campaign on crowdfunding platform Republic Europe, which has raised £599,476 and counting of an original £500,005 target.

The company's story began in Aberystwyth where it collected small amounts of seaweed from the shoreline to experiment with filmmaking. After much trial and error, it learned that this naturally abundant plant could make valuable plastic alternatives.

PlantSea started as three friends on a mission, and since 2020, eight more people have joined its team at its laboratory in St Asaph, Denbigh, and hubs in Liverpool and London.

One of the co-founders, Dr Alex Newnes, is an Insider Rising Star. The campaign reads: "Our dream is to see plastic-free laundry and dishwasher capsules available in every supermarket, at a price that makes sustainable choices accessible to everyone.

"Your support means far more to us than capital alone. By investing, you have joined a growing community that believes everyday products can be better designed for people and the planet. That shared belief is what allows us to keep pushing boundaries with seaweed-based materials and to scale solutions that genuinely reduce plastic use."

The crowdfunding has eight days left.