Business incubator Chemovator invests in Heartland’s natural fiber additives

As an additive for industrial materials such as plastic, rubber and concrete, Heartland’s Imperium Masterbatch, a product designed to be blended with polymers, enables the production of high-performance natural fiber products and packaging. Source | Chemovator Gmb

Chemovator (Mannheim, Germany), the business incubator and early stage investor of BASF, has successfully finalized an investment in Heartland. The Detroit, Michigan-based startup produces natural fiber plastic additives, and is the latest addition to Chemovator’s external-facing Elevate program.

Supported by a team of scientists, engineers and technologists, Heartland has developed hemp-based materials that can be used as additives within plastic compounds (read “Augmenting engineered thermoplastics with natural fibers”). This advancement in the world of sustainable material innovation improves properties with regard to flammability, bonding, dispersion and bulk density, which are historically associated with processing natural fibers. As a result, natural fibers are now a viable market opportunity to reduce scope 3 carbon emissions in numerous industries.

“By working with global brands and their suppliers, Heartland is able to reduce the carbon footprint of plastics on an industrial scale,” says Jesse Henry, CEO of Heartland.

With this funding, Heartland becomes Chemovator’s first portfolio company in North America and the latest addition to the Chemovator Elevate program. The program aims to support early stage startups in the chemical industry through monetary investment, access to BASF and its experts, as well as support from a network of experienced entrepreneurs.

“Heartland’s dedication to developing natural fiber additives aligns with our purpose of shaping the future of the chemical industry,” says Gati Kalim, head of portfolio management at Chemovator. “This investment not only expands our portfolio to a new geography, but also underscores our commitment to innovation and sustainability. We look forward to supporting the Heartland team on its journey.”

The investment builds on an existing partnership between Heartland and BASF’s North America Open Research Alliance (NORA). Importantly, the monetary and strategic support provided by Chemovator enables Heartland to deepen valuable collaborations within BASF.