54. A&B Smart Materials The damaging polymers used in nappies and other products are soon to be banned. This startup has created a biodegradable alternative. Written by Helena Young Sponsored by Sage Published on January 12, 2026 About the Startups 100 Now in its 18th year, the Startups 100 is the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses. There's no fee for entry or for inclusion in our index. The Startups team of new business experts judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index. Founders: Amaury van Trappen de Buggenoms and Dr Benjamin WhiteYear founded: 2022Website: absmartmaterials.comEvery year, four million tons of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) are produced, generating a $9bn global market. But from 2028, the EU has announced a ban on non-biodegradable SAP in soils. And, as a team of material scientists and engineers from Oxford and Cambridge Universities realised in 2022, there was no accessible alternative.With SAP used in everything, from nappies and wound dressings to solid air fresheners, there was an urgent need to find a new – and better – material. The team explains that current polymers are “petroleum-based, non-biodegradable and end up as microplastics in landfills, soils, and waterways. They are embedded in products we all rely on so the environmental footprint is vast and largely invisible.”The alternative is A&B Smart Materials, a new plant-based, biodegradable SAP, which promises “the same magic-like absorption properties, but without the environmental cost”.The team admits it has been a tough road, not least because others with deeper pockets have tried and failed. The team says they, “had to convince both ourselves and potential partners that our approach was different – and could work”.The team instead focussed on combining their deep polymer science expertise with “a relentless focus on practical scalability”. They are also working on reaching price parity.Early success caught the attention of one of the world’s largest chemical companies. Testing is taking place with major global brands and the company is also going to target agricultural distributors and soil enhancers – two groups that will be hit by the new EU rules.In just a few months, the product reached 70% of synthetic SAP performance and has also attracted the interest of a host of investors, including the Henry Royce Institute Industrial Collaboration Programme.The company is now pushing to become the leading developer of sustainable superabsorbent polymers, with its technology “licensed to multiple global chemical manufacturers and integrated into millions of everyday products”. And all the while, helping us move towards a plastic-free future.View the full Startups 100 Index for 20261. Omnea2. HIVED3. MAGIC AI4. OXCCU5. Lightyear6. Neuranics 7. Hormona8. Burbank9. Better Dairy 10. Lenkie Technologies11. Userled12. Hoxton Farms13. Rensair14. PulpaTronics15. TradeKart16. 32Co17. Carmoola18. cheqd19. Sightline Analytics20. Adamo Foods21. Bold Bean Co22. Beams Renovation 23. Pan Galactic24. Capi Money25. Spotted Zebra26. ANTHROTEK 27. Unravel28. Perci Health29. Untap Health30. Hair Syrup31. Connect Earth 32. spacebands 33. Unfabled34. Lightning Reach35. STOCKED36. Embeddable37. XR Therapeutics38. Literal Labs39. Scooch40. Openr41. Fibe Limited42. Inicio AI43. Peachies44. Better Nature 45. Ctrl Alt46. Resting Reef47. Nila48. ROXFIT49. Finmile50. NavLive51. Volunteero52. Inntelo AI53. Zonova54. A&B Smart Materials55. Ethicronics56. Treeapp57. kennek58. Soil Benchmark59. Vox Aeris60. Asan Cup61. Nuuri62. Mindstone63. MYNDUP64. Enbiosis Biotechnology65. JUX Food66. Danu Robotics67. Wylde Market68. Air Aware Labs69. Mimicrete Ltd70. ALYVE71. Happl72. Living Things73. Grub Club Pets74. Mealia75. PetProov76. Lylo Products77. Chest78. ZIM Connections79. Uptime Labs80. Teal81. Zero Fintech82. Micro Thermal Energy 83. Kanjo 84. Merlin Cloud85. My Skin Feels86. Eleria87. Cashblack88. RevvedUp89. Cosysense90. SuperFi91. Loom92. Legacy Compass93. Meshed94. SWURF95. Main Squeeze96. Sampl Technologies97. Over the Moo98. Pioneering People99. Bikebook100. Recondition Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags 2026 Written by: Helena Young Deputy Editor Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That's one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses. Sponsored by: Sage Startups 100 Index Sponsor 2026 Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.