Biomaterials

Ecovative is a startup developing mycelium-based materials as sustainable alternatives for the food, fashion, and packaging industries. The company operates three mycelium farms and annually converts over 10 million pounds of wood chips into high-value mycelium products. By using environmental signals, Ecovative guides mycelium to grow into complex structures through specific phenotypic triggers. The company also develops new strains with tailored properties for various applications.

Mycocycle has developed an innovative technology that uses fungi for waste management and recycling. This patent-pending process enhances the natural capabilities of fungi to transform construction waste into low-carbon raw materials suitable for the built environment. Mycelium, the root structure of fungi, is naturally fire and water-resistant, insulative, durable, and lightweight—making it an ideal raw material for the building industry. Mycocycle’s lab process uses mycelium to consume and eliminate toxins from construction waste, producing environmentally safe raw building materials.

Sway has developed seaweed-based biodegradable substitutes for traditional packaging and containers. The company uses natural polymers found in seaweed to create thermoplastic seaweed resin (TPSea™), which are biobased pellets designed to replace conventional plastics. TPSea™ technology melts and stretches just like petroleum-based pellets and integrates well with plastic manufacturing systems. This technology is also the base for TPSea Flex™, a versatile film made with seaweed suited for various industries, including fashion, beauty, and food.

Keel Labs is a sustainable materials company that develops innovative materials derived from ocean resources. The main product, Kelsun™ fiber, uses seaweed due to its versatility, resilience, and ecological benefits. The production process involves extracting alginate, a biopolymer from seaweed, and combining it with proprietary additives and water to form a solution known as dope. This solution undergoes wet spinning, where polymer chains link to form fine filaments, which are then extruded into an aqueous solution and stretched to align their internal structure.

Bolt Threads is a biotechnology company that creates sustainable materials through advanced bioengineering techniques. Their innovative products cater to the textiles, skincare, hair care, and cosmetics industries. Key products include Mylo™, B-Silk Protein™, and Microsilk™. Mylo™ is a leather-like material derived from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Grown in a vertical farming system powered entirely by renewable energy, mycelium matures in approximately two weeks. Post-harvest, it is processed into sheets of soft biomaterial.