Jiva Materials

Jiva Materials is a British advanced materials company working to reduce the environmental impact of electronics at the level of the printed circuit board. Its patented laminate, Soluboard, replaces glass-fibre reinforcement and thermoset epoxy with natural cellulosic fibre and Solvanta, a proprietary thermoplastic polymer, combined with a halogen-free flame-retardant system.

It is designed to run on established PCB fabrication equipment. A lifecycle assessment with the University of Portsmouth reported 13.18 kg of CO2 equivalent per square metre against 41.69 for FR-4, a 68% reduction, and the laminate is 37% lighter. Soluboard has reached UL 94 V-0 performance and is PFAS-free; Jiva was co-founded in 2017 by Jack Herring, who invented the material at the Royal College of Art, and is based in Waterlooville, Hampshire.