The London startup uses AI-engineered enzymes to break nylon 6,6 waste, from leggings to airbags to carpets, back into the monomers it was made from, recovering more than 90% and removing the need for virgin petroleum feedstock. Total funding now exceeds $50M. Nylon 6,6 is one of the most useful materials humanity has ever made. DuPont scientists first synthesised it in the 1930s and it has been in continuous production ever since, used in everything from high-performance athletic wear to car airbags, climbing ropes, and industrial carpets. It is also almost never recycled. The polymer’s structure, the same chemistry that gives it strength and heat resistance, makes it extremely difficult to break down without destroying the monomers you are trying to recover. Epoch Biodesign , a London startup founded by Jacob Nathan in 2019, has spent six years engineering enzymes that can do exactly that. The company has now raised $12 million to move from pilot production to a demonstration-scale facility.…