Founded by Adriana Esparza
A standalone, self-controlling machine that repairs a factory's own plastic scrap at the molecular level, learning from every batch so it goes straight back onto the line as production-grade resin.
"Developing technology inspired by nature that makes the process of making things 'manufacturing' more efficient."
Founded Hyphae Composites and built it out of mHUB, Chicago's hardtech innovation center. She found Fifth Star through mHUB.
We invested in August 2026. Her next milestones are automating Hyphae's system into a standalone unit, launching a paid pilot and raising a pre-seed round in mid-2027. Updated September 2026.
Most plastic scrap leaves the building as waste because nobody on site can bring it back to spec. Hyphae does the reprocessing where the scrap is made, without changing how the customer runs the line.
Manufacturers with a steady stream of plastic scrap. The site names automotive, consumer goods and electronics.
It handles the advanced blends ordinary recyclers won't touch, specifically TPVs, silicones and coextrusions. Those plastics cost up to $5.50 a kilo and usually get landfilled anyway.
Contributions go into the fund that writes them. If Hyphae Composites exits one day, our share comes back to the fund and goes out again, which is what makes us an evergreen fund.
Electric bikes and conversion kits, built for delivery riders in Detroit and Accra.
Runs the first round of a technical interview with a conversational AI, then reports how the candidate thinks.
Tracks the whole hormonal cycle, not just the period, and lets you share where you are with people you choose.
Updates on the founders we back and the work behind the checks.
