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

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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 …

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MycoWorks Raises $125 Million to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather

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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 …

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MycoWorks Raises $125 Million to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather

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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 …

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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.

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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.

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