Phast develops application-specific polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) materials that replace traditional plastics in dental, medical, and personal care products without leaving microplastics behind. The company works directly with manufacturers to formulate, prototype, and validate custom materials that work with existing thermoforming, molding, and extrusion processes. Their PHA materials are bio-based, biodegradable, and engineered to match the performance of conventional plastics.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Most plastics do not fully degrade—they break down into microplastics now found in water, the environment, and the human body. For products used in or on the body, such as dental aligners, whitening trays, and medical devices, this persistent microplastic exposure is becoming an increasingly serious concern for manufacturers and consumers alike.
Solution
Phast provides application-specific PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) materials that perform like traditional plastics during use but break down naturally at end of life without leaving microplastics behind. Produced through bacterial fermentation of renewable carbon sources, these materials are bio-based and biodegradable, including in home compost environments. Phast works directly with manufacturers to develop custom formulations tailored to each product's performance requirements, ensuring the material works with existing thermoforming, molding, and extrusion processes without disrupting manufacturing workflows. The company follows an iterative development process—evaluating the product, developing and prototyping custom formulations, testing and optimizing performance, and scaling to production-ready solutions.
Target Audience
Primary customers are manufacturers of dental products (aligners, whitening trays, retainers, mouth guards), medical devices (diagnostic disposables, wound care, implantable devices), and personal care products (cosmetic applicators, facial masks, exfoliating beads) seeking to replace traditional plastics with biodegradable alternatives.
Features
- PHA materials produced through natural bacterial fermentation, making them bio-based and biodegradable without leaving microplastics
- Application-specific formulations engineered for strength, clarity, flexibility, and product-specific performance requirements
- Compatibility with existing manufacturing processes including thermoforming, molding, and extrusion—no process changes required
- True microplastic-free end of life, including breakdown in home compost environments
- Iterative development process covering product evaluation, custom formulation, prototyping, testing, and scale-to-production support
- Material properties tunable for specific applications including clarity, flexibility, durability, and skin-safe contact