ColouriQuo
ColoriQuo is a University of Manchester spin-out developing a completely new category of natural food colourants using bio-inspired structural colour.
- Raising
- Pre-Seed
- Round
- In progress
- Cohort
- NG Spring 2026
- Sector
- Agriculture & Food · Materials & Chemicals
What they do
Rather than relying on traditional chemical pigments or unstable agricultural extracts, the company engineers plant-based materials at the nanoscale to produce vibrant, stable colours without artificial chemicals. Initially targeting the multi-billion-dollar gummy and confectionery markets, ColoriQuo provides clean-label alternatives to help the food industry phase out unhealthy synthetic dyes.
Why we invested
- →Expands beyond the $4Bn colorant market into the $26Bn gummy market by offering complete formulations.
- →Defensible & Disruptive Tech: Replaces chemical dyes with stable, tunable, and scalable plant-based structural colour using nanoscale engineering.
- →Solves an immediate industry crisis driven by upcoming 2026 bans on synthetic dyes in the US and EU.
Technology
Advanced MaterialsPhotonics
Impact
Sustainability
