Cadillac's SOLLEI

© General Motors

Materials

MycoWorks and GM Unveil Cadillac EV SOLLEI, the First Car with Mycelium Leather Interior

Biomaterials innovator  MycoWorks and its previous investor, General Motors, partnered to co-develop mycelium materials tailored for car interiors in 2022. Two years later, the companies introduced what they claim to be the first automobile to incorporate a mycelium bio-based material as an alternative to plastic and leather. The automobile, Cadillac’s latest concept EV SOLLEI, features MycoWorks’ Fine Mycelium in an iridescent version in the charging mats on the console and door map pockets, showcasing its versatility in sustainable automotive design. As Cadillac’s design director Erin Crossley stated, the new concept aims to redefine travel and material usage with an optimistic, celestial-inspired design. “The SOLLEI concept cultivates the vision for limitless expression and artful integration between travel and leisure,” he added. Pioneering mycelium materials MycoWorks, founded in …

more

MycoWorks will open a production facility for luxury animal-free leather

© polrebaque

Leather Alternatives

MycoWorks Unveils World’s First Commercial Mycelium Facility for Luxury Animal-Free Leather

Biomaterials innovator MycoWorks announces it will open the world’s-first commercial-scale mycelium production plant to produce luxury animal-free leather on the 20th of September, 2023. Located in South Carolina, the 136,000-square-foot facility, employing over 350 people, will use MycoWorks patented Fine Mycelium technology to produce “millions of square feet” of Reishi  — a luxury leather alternative with the strength, durability, and hand feel of the finest animal leather but with a lower environmental impact. “Fine Mycelium platform is an unprecedented advancement in materials. Opening the doors on the first commercial-scale factory has MycoWorks poised to answer the luxury industry’s desire to craft objects with natural alternatives to leather,” says Kiersten Stead, MP at DCVC Bio and board member at MycoWorks.  Scalable manufacturing Since Reishi’s introduction, the company has partnered with major …

more

MycoWorks Raises $125 Million to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather

©MycoWorks

Materials

MycoWorks and General Motors Collaborate to Develop Materials for Automotive Design

MycoWorks and General Motors have announced a partnership to co-develop Fine Mycelium™ materials for use in automotive design. As part of the collaboration, General Motors’ investment arm GM Ventures will provide funding to MycoWorks. Fine Mycelium technology uses the root structure of mushrooms to develop natural, sustainable, and customisable leather alternatives. According to MycoWorks, these match the performance of animal leather, providing high strength at low thicknesses. This is MycoWorks’ first entry into the automotive space. It is hoped that the leather alternatives could eventually support GM’s goal of achieving zero emissions. Fashion collaborations MycoWorks’ previous collaborations have all been focused on the fashion industry. Earlier this year, the company partnered with hatmaker Nick Fouquet for a collection of hats made with its flagship Reishi …

more

MycoWorks Raises $125 Million to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather

©MycoWorks

Textiles

MycoWorks Raises $125M in Series C to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather

MycoWorks, a San Francisco-based biomaterials company, announces the startup has raised $125 million to open a full-scale mushroom leather production plant.  MycoWorks’ Fine Mycelium is a proprietary biotechnology platform that transforms mycelium – the underground root structure of fungi – into materials that rival animal-based leathers in look, feel, aesthetics and performance. The Fine Mycelium process can engineer mycelium to grow made-to-specification fabrics, including its flagship product Reishi, in a fully controlled and uniform process. Surpassing milestones Based in Union County, SC, MycoWorks’ new facility is modeled on the company’s semi-automated plant in Emeryville, SC, which successfully achieved high production yields within target costs and surpassed a production milestone of 10,000 trays in one year. The new facility is scheduled to begin operating within a …

more

Natalie Portman Facebook

Image source: Natalie Portman Official Facebook

Fashion, Design & Beauty

Natalie Portman and John Legend Participate in $45M Round For MycoWorks

San Francisco-based MycoWorks, manufacturer of vegan leather alternatives from mycelium mushroom, announces the closing of a $45 million Series B financing round with participants including celebrities Natalie Portman and John Legend, and the opening of a major new Reishi™ production plant in Emeryville, California.

more

Made with Reishi

© Made with Reishi by MycoWorks

Fashion, Design & Beauty

MycoWorks Raises $17M to Meet Demand for Luxury Leather Products Made From Reishi Mushroom

MycoWorks, creator of a sustainable, fine mycelium leather alternative called Reishi, today announces $17 million in Series A financing for its mycelium based fabrics for the luxury fashion market. The round was led by DCVC Bio, with participation from others including Novo Holdings and 8VC, Future Tech Labs, and AgFunder.

more