Latest news with #Faircraft
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Material World: Still Burning Bras? You Can Bury Balena's
Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering news from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers. London-based Arda Biomaterials just closed an oversubscribed ($5.25 million) funding round led by Germany's Oyster Bay Venture Capital. More from Sourcing Journal Trompe l'œil Tailor Wins Challenge the Fabric 2025 Sci-Lume Labs Takes Home $30K for Crystal Clear Circularity Innovation Takes Center Stage at Fashion InStyle in Hong Kong Arda said the financing will allow the chemistry technology company to focus on material applications of plant-based proteins to further develop the startup's first fiber, New Grain. This leather-like material is made from brewers' spent grain, specifically the barley proteins, sourced from beer breweries—including the Heineken-owned Beavertown Brewery—and whiskey distilleries. 'We believe breweries and distilleries can do much more than just provide a feedstock,' said Brett Cotten, Arda's co-founder and CEO. 'Working with [them] is really a superpower to help us achieve the right pricing and tremendous scales necessary to make a significant impact across industries. Maybe someday we will even create global merchandise for brewers and distillers themselves.' More specifically, the Been London collaborator will begin commercializing New Grain within the fashion and automotive sectors, among others. 'The natural world has all the necessary building blocks to create incredible, environmentally friendly materials. Spent grain is a perfect case: the abundant feedstock is rich in protein that we are able to extract and manipulate to create New Grain, all without the need for plastics or petrochemicals,' said TJ Mitchell, Arda's co-founder and CTO. 'The material has come a long way since the first experiments in my kitchen, and it now looks and performs as a viable new material for those who want to see something different than animal-derived materials or plastic.' The financing round includes the lead investor from Arda's 2023 pre-seed round—Clean Growth Fund—alongside newcomers Kadmos Capital and Green Angel Ventures, also headquartered in London. It's official: in-vitro leather is in vogue. Paris-based lab-grown leather firm Faircraft has acquired VitroLabs, a Californian biotech firm backed by Kering and Leonardo DiCaprio. As a result, Faircraft's portfolio has gained some 30-plus internationally registered patents, considering that the Silicon Valley scientific pioneer spent the last decade demonstrating the feasibility of lab-grown leather. 'This acquisition represents a real strategic turning point for us: we are now the leader in the production of high-quality in-vitro leather and will now move into a new phase of industrialization,' said Haïkel Balti, co-founder and CEO of Faircraft. 'Our objective is clear: to make in-vitro leather a mark of prestige for the world's leading fashion houses.' As VitroLabs' research centered around tissue engineering, the Bay Area startup developed patented solutions in the cultivation of multilayered skin structures, the use of synthetic or natural biological supports for cell cultivation, and the development and use of cells suitable for in-vitro leather cultivation at scale, the collaborators said. At the same time, the French deep-tech developer was strategically solving for scaling in-vitro leather, primarily through proprietary 'technological building blocks.' German luxury startup Melina Bucher unveiled its latest design: a sculptural handbag made with Uncaged Innovation's inaugural and biobased next-gen material, Elevate. Dubbed the Nubian, the futuristic purse marks Elevate's worldwide debut. 'This collaboration unites two visions—ours in luxury design and Uncaged's in material science—to explore what the future of accessories can be,' said Melina Bucher, founder and creative director. 'Elevate allows us to push the boundaries of materiality without compromising our values.' The Nubian is available in two ultra-reflective holographic finishes (gray and black) developed exclusively for this collaboration. The limited-edition piece is inspired by space-age architecture and the 'contours of aerospace design,' per the partners. The 95 percent biobased bag launched on May 4—an intentional date, given the 'forward facing spirit' of both brands—on a pre-order basis for $1,472. Exploring dimensional movement, the pieces are made to order and handcrafted at Melina Bucher's atelier in Germany. Materials science company Balena and Colombian designer Neyla Coronel teamed on the first custom-fit and compostable bra. The multidisciplinary artist explored Balena's biobased, compostable 3D printing filament, co-developed with filament manufacturer Recreus, called 'Each new material brings a new learning curve, but showed me how material science can support designs that's truly human and sustainable,' said Coronel. 'It invites designers to rethink what's possible. It expands what 3D printing can do in fashion—especially in pieces that need to move and respond to the human body.' Coronel used parametric modeling, 3D scanning and computational geometry to develop a workflow where each bra could adapt to the wearer's dimensions and movement to change over time. At the structure's core is an auxetic pattern, 'designed to expand and contract in sync with the wearer,' per Balena, benefiting from Filaflex's soft elasticity. 'Working with was a breakthrough. Its flexibility is essential for something worn so close to the body,' said Coronel. 'But beyond that, it's biobased, compostable and recyclable. It made the piece not just wearable—but meaningful.' Regenerated cellulose fiber supplier Lenzing showcased the group's flagship nonwovens brand, Veocel, at two industry events this month: the China International Disposable Paper Expo (CIDPEX) in Wuhan and Idea 25 in Miami. At both shows, the 'purely for you' fiber was positioned as an environmentally-responsible solution to single-use, personal care and hygiene products. 'We believe true care begins within—from the ingredients we use to the impact we have on the planet,' said Rohit Aggarwal, CEO of Lenzing Group. 'By showcasing our Veocel lyocell fibers at CIDPEX and IDEA25, we demonstrate how sustainable innovation, ingredient transparency and strategic partnerships can drive a new era of responsible single-use products. Together with our partners, we're helping brands meet consumer demand for sustainable, high-performing solutions that align with their values.' Veocel's lyocell fibers are derived from renewable wood sources, Lenzing said, through a closed-loop pulping process before becoming fibers. Cellulose is an ideal option for personal care as it has natural absorbency properties and is biodegradable. 'At Veocel, we see this as an opportunity to lead with transparency and fiber innovation,' said Miray Acar, Lenzing Group's head of global marketing and branding. 'In hygiene and personal care, ingredients matter more than ever, and we're proud to offer a cellulosic solution that empowers brands to make responsible choices that resonate with their customers.'
Business of Fashion
07-05-2025
- Business
- Business of Fashion
Lab-Grown Leather Startup Faircraft Acquires Kering-Backed VitroLabs
A French startup with ambitions to crack the market for lab-grown leather has acquired Kering-backed rival VitroLabs for an undisclosed sum. Faircraft, which was founded just four years ago, is aiming to launch a full-scale production plant for lab-grown skin within two years. If successful, it would be the first company to commercialise the pioneering technology. To date, moving from lab to market has proved tricky. Faircraft said its acquisition will give it the benefit of nearly 10 years of R&D conducted by VitroLabs. The company's primary assets are 30 patents that Faircraft said would strengthen its capacity to quickly industrialise. 'This acquisition represents a real strategic turning point for us: we are now the leader in the production of high-quality in vitro leather,' said Faircraft co-founder and CEO Haïkel Balti. 'Our objective is clear: to make in vitro leather a mark of prestige for the world's leading fashion houses.' Learn more: Kering Invests in Lab-Grown Leather Startup The French luxury giant participated in a $46 million funding round intended to accelerate commercialisation of San Francisco-based VitroLabs' lab-grown leather.
