Dispersa Raises $5.8M to Scale Biosurfactants from Food Waste

Dispersa, a Canadian cleantech startup revolutionizing the chemical industry, has successfully raised $5.8 million CAD in seed funding.

The investment, led by Nàdarra Ventures, includes support from several Canadian investors, such as BDC Thrive Lab, Cycle Momentum, The51 Food & AgTech Fund, and Fonds d'investissement Eurêka, through Hidden Layers Capital.

Returning investors Good & Well, Dragonfly Ventures, BoxOne Ventures, and Front Row Ventures also reaffirmed their commitment to Dispersa’s mission.

About Dispersa

Founded in 2019, Dispersa is powering the commercialization of waste-derived biosurfactants, helping reduce reliance on palm oil and fossil fuel-based chemicals.

As the first company to establish biosurfactant manufacturing in Canada, Dispersa is making sustainable chemistry both affordable and accessible.

🌱 Innovating Green Chemistry with Food Waste

Surfactants—key ingredients in everything from household cleaners to cosmetics—are predominantly derived from petroleum or palm oil.

Dispersa is changing that with BioEterna®, its proprietary waste-derived biosurfactant technology that uses waste oils and sugars to create high-performing, cost-effective alternatives.

🔬 Key Innovation: PuraSurf® M

Dispersa’s flagship product, PuraSurf® M, is the world’s first biosurfactant made entirely from waste. This enables manufacturers to reduce environmental impact without compromising performance, making it a game-changer for industries under pressure to adopt greener solutions.

💰 What This Funding Means for Dispersa

With this new capital, Dispersa plans to:

✅ Scale up production of PuraSurf® M for large multinational companies in North America
✅ Expand its market reach in the household, industrial, and institutional (HI&I) sectors
✅ Strengthen its leadership, with Mary Dimou (Nàdarra Ventures) and Alexandra Baillie (Good & Well) joining its board

🌍 A Market-Driven Sustainability Shift

Dispersa’s CEO, Nivatha Balendra, emphasized the growing demand for sustainable surfactants, as regulatory and consumer pressures push companies to move away from traditional chemical ingredients.

📢 “We are thrilled to welcome new investors at this crucial stage. Dispersa is scaling to meet a vital market need—making biosurfactants mainstream and accessible.” – Nivatha Balendra, CEO

The investment community echoes this sentiment. Mary Dimou of Nàdarra Ventures highlighted Dispersa’s potential to reshape the surfactant market with its circular economy approach. Meanwhile, Alexandra Baillie of Good & Well praised the company’s rapid growth from lab-scale innovation to commercial production in just two years.