Comprehensive Profile: Seprify AG
Executive Summary
Seprify AG is an award-winning Swiss materials-science and GreenTech company specializing in the development of sustainable, bio-derived functional ingredients. Headquartered in Marly, Switzerland, the company focuses on replacing ecologically damaging or chemically hazardous materials with structures engineered from cellulose?the most abundant biopolymer on Earth (Jacucci, n.d.).
Rather than producing traditional pulp or paper materials, Seprify acts as an advanced nanotech and optics innovator. By manipulating the physical structures of cellulose at the micro- and nanoscale, Seprify produces high-efficiency light-scattering materials. These serve as non-toxic, eco-friendly replacements for titanium dioxide (TiO2) and chemical UV filters across the cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical, and coatings sectors (Jacucci, n.d.).
Continue…
Technical Innovation and Core Platform
Seprify?s core technological advantage lies in its proprietary material platform, which bridges optical physics with cellulose processing engineering (Jacucci, n.d.).
The Problem: Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and Chemical Filters
For decades, industries have relied heavily on titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a white pigment and opacifier due to its high refractive index. However, TiO2 has faced severe regulatory headwinds, environmental safety scrutiny, and classifications as a suspected carcinogen in specific configurations (Jacucci, n.d.). Similarly, chemical UV filters used in sunscreens have been shown to wash out into marine ecosystems, causing coral bleaching and environmental toxicity.
The Seprify Solution: Structural Color and Scattering
Seprify bypasses the need for heavy metals or synthetic chemicals by utilizing structural scattering. Because raw cellulose has a relatively low refractive index compared to metals, it is inherently translucent in its bulk form (Palo, 2025). Seprify engineers the morphology, size distribution, and specific packing orientation of micro- and nano-sized cellulose particles to induce high single-particle scattering efficiency (Jacucci, n.d.).
- Porosity Tuning: The platform introduces precise, nanoscale porosity within the range of 200 to 350 nanometers (roughly half the wavelength of visible light), which maximizes the scattering of visible light waves to create an intense, pure white visual appearance (Palo, 2025).
- Controlled Assembly: The processing architecture prevents particles from packing too tightly, a phenomenon that normally minimizes light-scattering capacity in natural polymers (Jacucci, n.d.).
- Zero Egress Safety: Because the particles are structurally optimized at the micrometer scale, they avoid the regulatory definitions and safety concerns associated with synthetic nanomaterials, ensuring clean biological compatibility (Jacucci, n.d.).
Product Offerings & Functional Ingredients
Seprify targets high-value enterprise formulations with two primary commercial ingredient brands alongside specialized research portfolios:
1. SilvaAlba
SilvaAlba is Seprify?s flagship natural white pigment and opacifier tailored specifically for food, beverage, and nutraceutical applications (Jacucci, n.d.).
- Function: Serves as a direct, clean-label replacement for E171 (titanium dioxide) in food products.
- Characteristics: Delivers high whiteness and opacity even in thin layers or low-concentration mixtures. It remains entirely stable under standard food processing conditions, including thermal treatments, changes in pH, and moisture fluctuations.
2. SilvaLuma
SilvaLuma is an ingredient designed for the personal care, cosmetics, and sun care industries (Jacucci, n.d.; Mendrok-Edinger, 2025).
- Function: Operates as a plant-based, natural UV booster and mineral modifier (Jacucci, n.d.; Mendrok-Edinger, 2025).
- Mechanism: Instead of absorbing UV radiation chemically, the engineered cellulose microparticles scatter UV light efficiently across the skin's surface.
- Impact: By incorporating SilvaLuma into sunscreen and daily wear formulations, cosmetics brands can significantly reduce the concentration of synthetic, chemical UV filters required to achieve high Sun Protection Factors (SPF), reducing both skin irritation risks and aquatic toxicity (Jacucci, n.d.; Mendrok-Edinger, 2025).
Target Industries & Industrial Scale-Up
Seprify?s business model operates on a Business-to-Business (B2B) framework, selling functional ingredients directly to major commercial brands and formulation specialists (Jacucci, n.d.). The company's technology scales sequentially across four major global markets:
| Industry Sector | Application Focus | Primary Displacement Target |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cosmetics & Personal Care | Sunscreens, color cosmetics, daily moisturizers | Chemical UV filters, synthetic opacifiers |
| Food & Nutraceuticals | Confectionery, capsule coatings, dairy alternatives | Titanium dioxide (E171) |
| Pharmaceuticals | Tablet coatings, solid dosage opacification | Mineral-based whitening agents |
| Paints & Industrial Coatings | Eco-friendly architectural paints, thin-film barriers | Industrial-grade TiO2 pigments |
Future Vector: Flexible Electronics
Beyond optical applications, Seprify is actively researching the electrical and surface properties of its structural cellulose matrix (Jacucci, n.d.). Pipeline concepts include adapting the platform for electronic applications, such as pressure-sensing materials, bio-compatible conductive inks for printed electronics, and advanced electrolytes for green energy storage systems (Jacucci, n.d.).
References
Jacucci, G. (n.d.). Turning Cellulose into High-Performance Optical Materials: An Interview with Dr. Lukas Schertel. ACS Applied Optical Materials. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsaom.6c00154
Mendrok-Edinger, C. (2025). The Quest for Avobenzone Stabilizers and Sunscreen Photostability. Cosmetics & Toiletries. https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulas-products/sun-care/article/21836968/the-quest-for-avobenzone-stabilizers-and-sunscreen-photostability
Palo, E. (2025). Developing cellulose-based opacifiers by chemical methods. Pharma Excipients. https://www.pharmaexcipients.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Developing-cellulose-based-opacifiers-by-chemical-methods.pdf
