Growing to places
- Gucci announced in 2017 that it would stop using animal fur, with Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Coach, and Prada soon following.
- 500-backed sustainable leather company Mycl expanded its operations to the Nagano Prefecture in Japan, the nation’s largest producer of mushrooms, to engage a wider community and expand their sustainable biomaterials in more markets.
- Mycl shared that a factory and cultivation building are underway, with plans to produce 45 square meters of mushroom leather per week. The team is excited to start supplying this to clients in October 2023!
- The leather is made from mushroom mycelium, grown over 1-2 months using Mycl’s proprietary process, and comes in sheets of 60cm x 30cm that feel similar to genuine leather in a cream color with brownish and blackish patches
- “Each piece has a unique pattern, which is characteristic of natural materials. People should appreciate it as a one-off product,” shared Keita Inui, Mycl Japan’s president.
- The Mycl team plans to launch their own brand of mushroom leather products, and a franchise business that will benefit many mushroom farmers through mutually supportive relationships.
- Keita adds “Many mushroom farmers are facing financial difficulties. Some cannot continue their businesses. Our mushroom leather is a new material that can be produced utilizing basic mushroom cultivation techniques.”
- Read the full feature on Asahi Shimbun.
More from this week
- eFishery plans to expand across Asia and Middle East, determined to meet global food demands through aquaculture
- Ubuntu Tribe tokenize gold to provide universal affordable access to the asset through technology for shared prosperity
- Gilmour Space partners Neumann Space to develop a propulsion system for large satellites of up to 500kg
- Ion Mobility remains committed to their full-stack design and manufacturing strategy, and leverages cross-region talent and supply chain collaborations to maintain an edge
- VTF‘s Jason Low tells Tatler that finding the right VC isn’t just about funding
