Utilium
By Samuel Wines
10 February 2025
arine biofouling is a massive headache for the shipping industry – slowing vessels down, burning extra fuel, and racking up emissions – it’s terrible stuff. To make matters worse, traditional antifouling coatings rely on toxic chemicals that leach into our oceans, wreaking havoc on marine life. Enter Utilium, an Australian company that’s flipping the script with a plant-based solution that tackles biofouling at its source: the biofilm stage. Their tech keeps ships moving efficiently without poisoning the water, cutting emissions and saving fuel in the process. Sounds like a win to us!
At CoLabs, we love innovation that’s both smart and good for the planet, and Utilium ticks both boxes. Their work is a perfect example of science and bio-inspired design and innovation working hand in hand to solve a real-world problem – one that impacts industries, ecosystems, and global emissions. We’re backing Utilium because they’re proof that the right kind of tech can help businesses thrive without trashing the environment.
Marine biofouling has long been a challenge for industries reliant on clean, efficient surfaces – from shipping to aquaculture. Traditional antifouling solutions lean on toxic chemicals that pollute our oceans and disrupt ecosystems; this is a classic example of narrow-boundary thinking that solves one problem only to create a larger problem in another part of the system. Utilium is taking a different approach, leveraging plant-based and nature-inspired technologies to combat biofouling at its root. But that’s just the beginning.
Co-founded by David Stapleton, Rob Gell AM, and Wani Wall, Utilium initially set out to tackle marine biofouling, but the deeper they explored the world of biofilms, the more they uncovered cross-industry opportunities for sustainable solutions. Biofilms aren’t just a maritime problem—they impact everything from medical devices to food production and industrial water systems. Utilium’s mission is to translate cutting-edge research into real-world applications wherever biofilms pose a challenge, using strategies informed by nature’s own ingenuity.
With their move into CoLabs’ new facility in Notting Hill, Utilium is expanding its research and looking for like-minded collaborators who share their mission: innovating with nature to create cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable solutions. At CoLabs, we love to champion companies like Utilium because they prove that science, sustainability, and smart business don’t have to be at odds – they can thrive together.
That’s why we gave them an impact scholarship to work out of the lab free of charge for six months. We’re really excited to see what comes from this opportunity.
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