In San Francisco, popular sustainability-focused shoe brand Allbirds has invested $2 million in Natural Fiber Welding to advance development of plant-based leather alternatives. Founded by Luke Haverhals, Illinois-based Natural Fiber Welding’s first product is Mirum, a leather alternative made from minerals and natural plant-sourced materials such as cork and coconut coir fiber. “Humanity’s dependence on […]
In North Carolina, Bear Fiber has created socks from hemp for a prototype project meant to demonstrate that “Hemp Makes it Better.” In partnership with expert knitters at the Catawba Valley Community College’s Manufacturing Solutions Center in Conover, Bear Fiber has developed in a method that creates a “stronger, cotton-like hemp fiber” so you can […]
In the Netherlands, lab-grown meat startup Mosa Meat has closed on an additional $10 million in funding, bringing its total Series B investment round to $85 million. The company will use the funds to scale production at its Maastricht, Netherlands production facility, where it recently manufactured the world’s first lab-grown beef burger. The funding round […]
In Brazil, renewable chemicals company Amyris has acquired the clean beauty brand Costa Brazil for an undisclosed sum. Co-founded by Francisco Costa and Michele Levy in December 2018, Costa Brazil is a clean luxury beauty and wellness brand inspired by Brazil’s biodiversity. Amyris plans to leverage its science platform and fermentation technology to develop and […]
In British Columbia, researcher Zachary Hudson has developed a compostable coffee pod made from renewable materials. The University of British Columbia assistant professor and research chair in sustainable chemistry created the pods over three years in partnership with Nexe Innovations. The pod consists of bamboo fiber capsule, polylactic acid lining, and paper seal. The pods […]
In Badung, Indonesia, Mycotech Lab is developing technology to produce vegan leather from mycelium. The company was inspired by the process used to make local delicacy tempeh—a fermented protein made from soybeans and fungi that is increasingly popular among vegans in Western regions as well. After years of research, Mycotech has adapted the tempeh production […]
Microsoft cofounder and third richest man on the planet Bill Gates has ruffled feathers by suggesting in his latest book that to avoid a climate disaster, developed nations like America must switch to plant-based or lab-grown beef. Cows are large emitters of methane emissions, and various feed additives to reduce the climate impact of their […]
In Singapore, Iron Man has invested in a bioplastic startup. Robert Downey Jr., who played “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” Tony Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, in the popular Avengers series, participated in RWDC’s recent funding round. To date, RWDC has raised over $168 million to advance its medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (mcl-PHA) biopolymers. “We believe the movement against […]
E&T Magazine has done a deep dive on the recent efforts to produce sustainable materials from mushrooms, with end markets including packaging, water capture, textiles, and home furnishings. According to E&T, New York-based Ecovative is developing a range of products, including animal-free leather, a replacement for polystyrene foam and even foam buoys and rafts. Designer […]
In Philadelphia, popular lifestyle clog maker Dansko has begun using biobased ethylene vinyl acetate from Brazil’s Braskem. The new Kane footwear line will contain up to 50% biobased content, provide comparable shock absorption to Dansko’s conventional clogs, and feature the company’s Natural Arch technology. The clog will launch this spring at www.dansko.com/kane-blue-eva-clog. Braskem says its […]
