In Austria, startup Arkeon Biotechnologies has raised $7 million to advance its single-step fermentation process for converting carbon dioxide into food ingredients. The company was birthed in 2021 by Evig, a Berlin-based company builder that brought together Arkeon founders Gregor Tegl, Simon Rittman, and Guenther Bochmann. The basis for the company is work performed by […]
In Hawaii, a new green burial option has emerged for ocean lovers. Memorial Reefs International will mix human cremains into concreate “reef balls” that are placed on the ocean floor to provide habitats for ocean life. GPS coordinates are given to family members who wish to visit their loved one’s ocean burial site and will […]
In New York, a team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is developing a composite reinforcing material made of hemp stalk and bioplastic to create a rebar as strong as steel for construction. “There are some natural fibers that have a similar strength to steel for the same weight,” Alexandros Tsamis, a professor of architecture at RPI, […]
In North Carolina, a startup developing a cement alternative produced using microbes has raised $65 million in a Series C funding. Biomason’s patented technology uses natural microorganisms to grow biocement at ambient temperatures without emitting carbon dioxide. The process mimics nature’s use of carbon as a building block, creating cement in a biological, circular system, […]
In Latvia, design studio Zeltini has unveiled a prototype of a motorized camper, tricycle, and boat in one. Dubbed Z-Triton 2.0, the home/vehicle for land and water aims to “shift the way people engage with nature.” By collaborating with designers and engineers, Triton 2.0 improves upon a 2020 prototype with features and functions that make […]
In San Francisco, cultivated salmon producer Wildtype has raised $100 million in a series B funding as it works to build capacity and prepare for commercial launch in the US. The round was led by L Catterton, and includes investments from Leonardo DiCaprio, Bezos Expeditions, Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition, NBA All-Star Blake Griffin, Temasek, […]
In Hyderabad, India, a local company is making biodegradable tableware and packaging from fallen areca leaves and recycled paper. “I call myself a waste person, because I really love waste,” Srikanth Bolla, who founded Bollant Industries in 2012 and is currently CEO, tells CNN. “I want to recycle all the waste that I can in […]
In Saudi Arabia, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology are using date waste to create filtration membranes for industrial separations. Conventional membranes are efficient, but are made from fossil-based materials and often require toxic chemicals to produce. “Date seeds are abundantly available and renewable, with approximately 90% of the world’s cultivated date […]
In Brazil, two designers have created a bike from natural fibers and plant-based glue that is lighter and stronger than conventional aluminum bikes. Guilherme Pella and Nicolas Rutzen use laser-cutting technology and lattice structural patterns from natural fibers to produce the frame for the bike, which they call Astan. By following the natural grain of […]
In New York, a startup founded by two college students has received a $1.7-million boost from billionaire Mark Cuban and others to expand production of single-use cups based on polylactic acid. The milestone was an early and unlikely victory for Earth Brands, which was founded in 2019 by Michael Medvedev and Peter Frelinghuysen to address […]
