1inhaler Secures £1.5 Million Seed Funding to Advance Sustainable Cardboard Inhaler Platform
1inhaler, the Edinburgh-based medtech startup developing a sustainable, single-dose cardboard dry powder inhaler (DPI), has secured £1.5 million in seed funding to advance its innovative drug delivery platform toward regulatory approval and commercial manufacturing. The latest investment builds on the company’s earlier £2 million raise, putting total known funding at around £3.5 million as it works to bring its pop-up inhaler to market.
The funding round was led by Scottish angel investment network Archangels, a group with a track record of backing life sciences and technology ventures. The round also saw participation from Scottish Enterprise, the economic-growth agency for Scotland, and BBB Investments, the commercial investment arm of the UK government’s British Business Bank. This combination of private and public support reflects broad confidence in the potential of 1inhaler’s platform to disrupt traditional inhaler markets.
Founded in 2017 by Don Smith and Lisa McMyn, 1inhaler has developed a single-use DPI that unfolds from a flat, credit-card-sized piece of eco-friendly cardboard into a three-dimensional inhaler capable of delivering a range of dry powder medications. The design aims to address key limitations of existing inhalers, including cost, accessibility and environmental impact, by offering a low-cost, recyclable alternative to bulky plastic devices.
The funds from the seed round will support several strategic priorities as 1inhaler progresses its technology toward market readiness. A central focus is the advancement of clinical trial material manufacturing, which is being developed with manufacturing partner Upperton, and the scaling of manufacturing processes with Harro Höfliger, a facility solutions provider specialising in precision equipment for medical device production. This work is integral to preparing for the company’s first Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA), currently targeted for late 2027.
1inhaler’s leadership team has bolstered its commercial and technical expertise, bringing on board industry veterans such as Helen Muirhead as Chief Scientific Officer, who previously headed the Respiratory Centre of Excellence at GSK and was responsible for major inhaler portfolios, and Jane Gaddum, formerly Vice President for emerging brands at AstraZeneca, who now serves as Chair and Non-Executive Director. These additions strengthen the company’s capability to navigate both regulatory and commercial challenges in the respiratory drug delivery sector.
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Lisa McMyn said the new funding reflects “strong continued confidence in our technology platform and our progress towards commercialisation,” emphasising the company’s vision of transforming drug delivery by offering a simpler, more accessible inhalation option that also reduces environmental burdens compared with traditional devices. McMyn highlighted the potential for 1inhaler’s platform to make treatments more affordable and sustainable, without sacrificing performance.
Representatives from the lead investor also expressed strong backing for the company’s direction. Dr. Sarah Hardy, Director and Head of New Investments at Archangels, noted that 1inhaler’s progress underscored the disruptive potential of its technology and its ability to address unmet needs across multiple therapeutic areas. The involvement of Scottish Enterprise emphasised the importance of nurturing world-class innovation emerging from Scotland’s life sciences ecosystem, while support from BBB Investments highlighted broader UK interest in sustainable health technology solutions.
1inhaler’s cardboard DPI has already attracted commercial interest across therapeutic areas including respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as potential applications in neurological conditions where inhaled drugs may offer advantages. The device’s patented membrane-based delivery system has demonstrated performance on par with leading multidose inhalers, supporting its potential to compete with established products while offering distinct sustainability benefits.
With manufacturing partnerships in place and a clear roadmap toward regulatory submission, 1inhaler is positioned to advance its platform from prototype toward widespread clinical use. The company’s ability to combine affordability, portability and environmental sustainability in a medical device resonates with broader trends in healthcare innovation that seek to reduce costs and ecological impact while improving patient access to critical therapies.
As 1inhaler continues its development journey, the latest round of funding serves both as a validation of its long-term strategy and as a launchpad for the next phase of growth, bringing its vision of a globally accessible, sustainable inhaler technology closer to reality.
