In 2007, Philip Ross, an artist based in the Bay Area, was preparing for an exhibition. He demonstrated his work with "mycotecture," the creation of materials from processed fungi, the substance that makes up the root structure of mushrooms. Mr. Ross bought mushroom spores from local farmers and convinced them to grow into a material he describes as similar to medium-density fiberboard. In preparation for the exhibition, he met Sophia Wang, then a Ph.D. A student at the University of California, Berkeley, he helped produce the show.
Mr. Ross continued to experiment with mycelium, and by 2012, after receiving requests from several companies interested in the technology, Mr. Ross asked Ms. Wang to join him at first MycoWorks to commercialize his mycotecture technology. They co-founded the company the following year, while Ms. Wang was finishing her letter.
At first, “we were three in a basement with plywood and plastic sheeting,” the lady said. Wang, who is now the company's head of culture. “We were a biotechnology startup, but we were created by artists.”
MycoWorks eventually focused on making a material that had the look and feel of leather shoes It was free of animal parts. It is called Reishi, after the Japanese name for the genus of mushrooms Mr. First used by Ross, it can currently be produced in sheets of six feet square. (MycoWorks declined to disclose prices except to say that they are currently comparable to exotic skins. They added that as the company continues to grow, MycoWorks will be able to offer some at lower prices.)
The company, which is headquartered in Emeryville, California, has held more than 75 patents and now has more than 160 employees in the United States, France and Spain. It has also secured collaborations with high-end companies such as Hermès and, more recently, furniture maker Ligne Roset, and GM Ventures, the investment arm of General Motors.
If it continues to expand, MycoWorks has huge potential: the leather goods market will cross $400 billion in 2021 and expected to exceed $720 billion by 2030.
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Then there is the global market for synthetic leather materials, And it is expected to reach nearly $67 billion by 2030, according to Research and Markets, the source for data and analysis. The so-called bioleather market, which includes only naturally occurring materials, has been appreciated approximately $650 million In 2021 by Polaris Market Research. But that number may be too low, according to Frank Zamperelli, executive director of the Alliance for Responsible Business at Fordham University in New York, as well as managing director at consulting firm Accenture. "I honestly believe it does not accurately reflect market and consumer interest in this category, nor developments in technology and emerging product quality," he said.
To date, many leather substitutes are made from plastic, polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride (commonly known as PVC), which sometimes leads to the derisive term "dull". But the more important issue is that those who use plastic are generally not environmentally friendly and do not provide a sustainable option.
In contrast, MycoWorks CEO Matthew Scullin said in a pop-up showroom in New York in the spring that MycoWorks "can achieve the same quality and performance as animal skin without the need for any kind of plastic." Now too big to rely solely on local farmers to supply it with mycelium, the company has its own strains that "we basically keep in cold storage," Scullin said.
The process begins with collecting the mycelium together with sawmill waste in trays; As the sawdust decomposes, the mixture begins to develop into a thin sheet. The material can then be customized to meet customer specifications, including specific textures, and may include the addition of other fibers, such as cotton. Fine Mycelium, the trade name for its patented technology, is then finished by external tanners. (The tanning process does not use chrome, which is historically one of the most polluting parts of the leather industry.)
Since the process of creating Reishi requires only a few steps, the master. It has a "low impact" on the environment, Scullin said. Additionally, he said, while animal hides vary in size and texture, Reishi is more consistent and predictable for customers.
In August, MycoWorks began work on a 150,000-square-foot plant in Union, SC. Upon completion by the end of 2023, it will begin full-scale production—several million square feet of reishi annually. The construction is supported by new investments. MycoWorks closed on $125 million in new financing in January. The new factory will allow the company to meet the growing demand; Mr. Scullin says he has received thousands of inquiries from potential clients.
One client Reishi has already incorporated is fashion house Hermès, which designs the fabric (which it calls Sylvania) for use in its Victorian handbags. (The company declined to comment on how much you purchased or the price of the bag, which is no longer shown on its website, when compared to a bag that uses leather.)
Nick Fouquet, a Venice, California-based milliner popular with celebrities, used feathers in some of his hats this year. "I asked one of my seamstresses and she couldn't tell the difference between feathers and real leather," he said. Produce 50 bucket hatMade entirely of MycoWorks material and at $810, it's completely sold out. He said he hopes to use the cloth again in future seasons.
The auto industry also presents a huge opportunity, as Mr. Automotive manufacturers are the second largest user of leather, after shoes, Scullin said. He added that inquiries escalated last year as automakers began introducing new electric cars to the market. The collaboration with GM Ventures was announced in October. 18, “Aiming to Promote the Development of Sustainable Automotive Materials,” Wade Schafer, Managing Director, GM Ventures, Available Here. he said in a statement. (The automaker declined to disclose the size of its investment.)
while mr. Scullin wouldn't provide any further details, and said the agreement "aims not only to change the picture of sustainability for cars but also to modernize the supply chain for these materials," so they can get to market faster. To that end, he said he envisions starting new plants to service the auto industry.
MycoWorks has competition. bolt threadsInc., based in California, also produces a leather-like substance made from fungi and is attracting high-end customers at an impressive rate. Bolt I work with Stella McCartney, known for avoiding animal products, as well as Adidas, Lululemon, and Mercedes. Other materials scientists are experimenting with bio-based fabrics, including those with pineapple and aloe vera.
Companies working with mycelium, Mr. Zamperelli said, "They're not trying to replicate what animal skin does, but they're making something that has the smoothness and elasticity of leather, but something that's also very manageable."
The use of mycelium continues in the visual arts, sid. Ross, the founder, who is now chief technology officer, said. In Mycoworks, Ms. Wang said, “The practice is more evident in the design and prototyping of our products. This is how people here really get creative.”
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