leather alternative news and archive

Natalie Portman joins Uncaged Innovations as a strategic partner

Academy Award–winning actor and producer Natalie Portman, who has been a long-standing advocate for animal welfare and veganism, is joining biomaterial company Uncaged Innovations as a strategic partner and an “advocate for sustainable luxury”. New York-based Uncaged Innovations, founded by serial entrepreneur Stephanie Downs and biomaterials...

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Qorium secures investment to scale lab-grown leather

Dutch biotech start-up Qorium, which is pioneering cultivated leather from cultured cow cells, has secured a 22-million-euro investment to scale production of its lab-grown leather. The round was led by Invest-NL, a fund owned by the Dutch government, and LIOF, the regional development agency for the Limburg region in the Netherlands, alongside...

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Fashion |In Pictures

Uncaged Innovations collaborates with indie brands to showcase bio-based leather alternative

American biomaterial company Uncaged Innovations has partnered with 10 indie fashion brands to launch Elevate to bring to market its new bio-based luxury leather alternative, Elevate. As part of ‘The Uncaged Collective,’ the emerging next-gen leather company, gave 10 brands from nine countries, including the UK, US, Germany, Argentina, Mexico,...

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MCM launches debut leather alternative collection featuring Mirum

German luxury fashion brand MCM has launched its debut collection of handbags made from Mirum, a plastic-free and vegan alternative to conventional leather. The collection launch cones as MCM continues to incorporate more responsible practices across its brand, ranging from material usage to packaging. “MCM is the leader of a New School of...

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Qorium announces next step towards full-scale commercialization of lab-grown leather

Lab-grown leather innovator Qorium has taken a significant step towards the full-scale commercialization of lab-grown leather with its latest sample. The material measures 35 by 35 cm and was manufactured through the company’s recently scaled-up tissue bioreactor, demonstrating the viability of the company’s production process for large-scale...

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Fashion |In Pictures

Been London unveils handbag made of brewery waste

British accessories brand Been London has collaborated with London-based materials start-up Arda Biomaterials to develop a snakeskin-style handbag crafted from spent grain sourced locally from London’s ‘Beer Mile’ in Bermondsey. The new version of Been’s bestselling ‘Millais’ shoulder bag marks the first to debut Arda’s pioneering leather-like...

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Uncaged Innovations raises $5.6 Million to advance grain-free leather alternative

Uncaged Innovations, a biomaterials start-up based in New York, announced that it has successfully raised 5.6 million USD in a seed investment round. The proceeds will be used to fund the commercial launch of the company's grain-based leather as well as the expansion of its team, including its manufacturing team. An emerging next-gen leather...

Fashion

UK biotech start-up unveils lab-grown leather

UK-based biotech start-up 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT), powered by BSF Enterprise, has unveiled a lab-grown leather sample at the Future Fabrics Expo in London designed to meet the increasing demand for environmentally and animal-conscious alternative leather products. The bio-engineered samples are structurally and genetically identical to traditional...

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Alternative Innovation wins 2024 Andam Innovation Prize

Materials company Alternative Innovation, which is developing a sustainable and recyclable alternative to leather and coated textiles, has been awarded the ANDAM 2024 Innovative Prize. Introduced in 2017, the Innovative Prize is now in its seventh edition and aims to support technological innovations that contribute to transforming and...

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MycoWorks announces first harvest of leather alternative following new plant opening

Biotechnology company MycoWorks has confirmed that its commercial-scale fine mycelium plant in South Carolina, US, has successfully harvested the first 1,000 sheets of its luxury leather-alternative biomaterial. The sheets have left the plant to be delivered to MycoWorks’ partner tanneries across Europe to transform the fine mycelium innovation...

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Biomaterials start-up Gozen secures 3.3 million US dollars in funding

Gozen, the biomaterials start-up looking to disrupt the fashion, automotive and home furnishings industries with its lab-grown leather alternative that is plastic and animal-free, has raised 3.3 million US dollars in seed funding. The funding was secured from lead investor Happiness Capital, with participation from Accelr8, Astor Management, and...

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MycoWorks to open commercial-scale Fine Mycelium plant

Biomaterials technology company MycoWorks is opening the world’s-first commercial-scale Fine Mycelium production plant on September 20. The 136,000-square-foot facility located in Union, South Carolina in America will employ more than 350 people and enable MycoWorks to supply its luxury partners with millions of square feet of its premium and...