A Legacy of Action
Sep 15, 2025
Every company has a mission, but for us at EvoNatura, that mission runs deeper. It's a family legacy and a deeply personal fight that spans decades.
When people ask us how we came up with the idea for our microbe-based additive, we don't start in a lab in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. We start with a belief that guides everything we do: "We're not just trying to reduce harm on our planet, we're trying to create a positive impact. We innovate technology that gives back to the earth, not takes from it."
The Seed of Change: 2002
The fire that started EvoNatura was lit by a true visionary: L.P. Naithani, Priyanka's grandfather and Alka’s father.
Two decades ago, when the global plastic waste crisis was still in its infancy, L.P. Naithani, then the First Advocate General of Uttarakhand and a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, dedicated himself to a radical cause: lobbying to ban plastics in the entire region. His foresight and unwavering belief that the environment could not wait for "convenient" solutions inspired us.
The Mission: Transforming Plastic
Years later, the two of us, mother-daughter team Alka and Priyanka Naithani, came together to tackle the plastic crisis with a modern solution rooted in our core values. We realized our focus had to be specific and impactful.
We realized that while many companies produce bioplastics, the entire industry suffers from one major flaw: the lack of accessible end-of-life solutions. If a bioplastic requires specific, complex infrastructure to degrade, it ultimately fails to solve the problem for the vast majority of real-world applications.
Our mission quickly crystallized: Fix the Bioplastic Flaw with a Drop-In Solution for Manufacturers.
Our proprietary microbe-based additive is designed to integrate into your existing production line without any additional infrastructure or changes to your processing equipment. It’s a simple drop-in solution that transforms any bioplastic into a truly biodegradable product.
Early Milestones and Broadened Scope
Initially, we focused on high-impact sectors like agriculture (using upcycled food scraps to create products like mulch films). However, our early testing and development quickly affirmed that our additive's value is universal across all applications using bioplastics from packaging to medical supplies.
These early foundational steps helped prove our mission:
JUL 2024: EvoNatura registered
AUG 2024: Research lab established
SEPT 2024: Won Pitch Prize at URI
NOV 2024: Received SEG Microgrant
JAN 2025: NSF-I Corps
MAR-SEPT: Accelerator Programs (Nucleate, MassChallenge, CleanTech Open)
NOV 2025: RI Commerce Innovation Voucher Award
The recent win at the Cleantech Open Northeast was a powerful moment because it strongly affirms that our scientific approach is ready to fulfill that enduring commitment to environmental stewardship.
Our microbe-based additive is our way of carrying our family legacy forward, just as L.P. Naithani dreamed.
The fight isn't over, but now, we have the tools to win it.
Next up: Read about our big win in the Company Milestones section: EvoNatura Wins the Northeast! Regional Winner & People's Choice.
