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Ecopolplast and the EIC Accelerator: Tyre Plastics, No Revenue

September 29, 2026898 words5 min

Ecopolplast mixes recycled scrap tyres with post-consumer plastic to make a thermoplastic elastomer, a rubbery material it aims at makers of car parts, furniture and sports goods. The company, registered in Lębork in northern Poland in 2018 and led by its founder Katarzyna Pokwicka-Croucher, calls its product Ecoplastomer and says it is made without added chemicals. Its EIC project described them as "the greenest TPEs available globally".

The European Innovation Council granted €2,473,268 towards a €3.5 million project from September 2022 to August 2024 to take the technology from technology readiness level 6 to commercial scale. The final report describes continued material research, flame-retardant blends and 3D-printing filament, with no production volumes, customers or revenue. The company's filed accounts, published by BizRaport, show revenue of PLN 66,604 in 2025, a net loss of PLN 3.09 million and negative equity of PLN 1.70 million.

€2.47MEIC grant, 70% of a €3.5M project
PLN 67kRevenue in 2025, down from PLN 3.2M in 2023
8Employees in 2025, down from 13
−PLN 1.7MEquity at end of 2025

Company file

Legal entity
Ecopolplast sp. z o.o., KRS 0000747309, Gdynia (Lębork until February 2025)
Registered
October 2018
Founder and CEO
Katarzyna Pokwicka-Croucher
Product
Ecoplastomer, thermoplastic elastomers from recycled tyres and plastic
Certifications
ISO 9001; RecyClass, May 2025
EIC project
Ecoplastomer, 1 Sep 2022 to 31 Aug 2024, closed
EIC funding
Grant first

Where Ecopolplast Stands Now

The company's news pages list awards and certificates: RecyClass certification for recycled-content traceability and digital product passports in May 2025, and selection for the Polish climate ministry's GreenEvo green technology accelerator in September 2025. None of them mentions a production volume or a customer. At the end of 2025 its liabilities and provisions were PLN 8.5 million against total assets of PLN 6.8 million, and it had PLN 101,000 in cash.

"If we make a garden chair from Ecoplastomer and it breaks after five years, we can grind it up and inject it into a new chair of identical quality."

Katarzyna Pokwicka-Croucher, founder and CEO, Ecopolplast, 2023, translated

The Technology: Rubber and Plastic Without Glue

In February 2023 the founder told MamStartup that the company was building a prototype line at commercial scale in Gdynia, due to start in October 2023, with production equipment costing about €1.5 million, and that a larger factory would follow near the Tri-City. The EIC report claims each kilogram of Ecoplastomer saves "over 65% of CO2" compared with virgin material, and found uses for painted parts, "especially in the automotive industry". No independent test of those claims is published.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised to scale Ecoplastomer from TRL 6 towards commercial production. Its final report is a list of laboratory work: surface properties, flame-retardant blends with 10%, 20% and 30% additives, and filament for 3D printing. It reports no plant capacity, no tonnes sold and no customer contracts.

  1. Material developmentDeliveredPer final report.
  2. Commercial scale-upNot shownNo volumes reported.
  3. CustomersNone namedRevenue PLN 67k in 2025.
  4. 65% CO2 savingClaim onlyNo independent test.

The Money

Revenue fell from PLN 3.22 million in 2023 to PLN 1.51 million in 2024 and PLN 66,604 in 2025, while net losses were PLN 773,000, PLN 3.22 million and PLN 3.09 million. Staff numbers went from 11 to 13 and then 8. Equity has been negative at three of the last four year-ends; the only positive year was 2024, when a capital increase was registered. The company's shareholders are private individuals, according to the register.

What Cannot Be Checked

Questions for the EIC

Whether the Gdynia prototype line ever ran at commercial scale, how much of the 2023 revenue came from grants rather than sales, and how the company will cover liabilities larger than its assets are not public.

Why Europe Should Care

CORDIS files 40% of the project under climate action, and Ecopolplast has collected a string of circular economy awards. The EIC paid most of its scale-up project; the company's accounts show a business that did not scale.

What the project promised

A move from TRL 6 to commercial production of fully recycled elastomers.

What the record shows

Laboratory research, awards and certificates, PLN 67,000 in 2025 revenue and negative equity.

The Verdict

Awards instead of sales

Ecopolplast has a material that wins prizes. Two years after the EIC paid for its scale-up, it has almost no revenue, fewer staff and more debts than assets.

Ecopolplast and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.

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Eureka Network

Eureka Network offers multiple international collaborative R&D programs including Network Projects, Clusters, Eurostars, Globalstars, and Innowwide, with funding ranging from €50K to €6.75M per project depending on the specific program. The network focuses on market-driven innovation and deep-tech development across diverse technology sectors including ICT/Digital, Industrial/Manufacturing, Bio/Medical Technologies, Energy/Environment, Quantum, AI, and Circular Economy. Applicants include SMEs, large enterprises, research organizations, universities, and startups, with Eurostars specifically targeting R&D-performing SMEs.

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EIC AcceleratorBeneficiary Deep Dive#Ecopolplast#Ecoplastomer#recycling#circular economy#plastics#Poland
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