The leather industry, an often overlooked contributor to global warming, generates substantial greenhouse gases and waste. A significant 14% of global greenhouse emissions stem from livestock rearing – a primary ingredient in leather production. It’s high time to think about the ecological footprint of your new leather tote!
However, the impending era of bio-based substitutes brings a ray of hope. Numerous innovative startups are stepping up, committed to developing eco-friendly alternatives to traditional leather.
- Gozen – A Turkish startup, has garnered $3.3M in seed funding to produce “Lunaform” – a vegan, plastic-free wonder material engineered by fermenting microorganisms.
- Lunaform: Gozen’s Lunaform is robust, flexible, and has the capability to disrupt the fashion and automotive industries alike. Their secret lies in a unique 10-day fermentation transplantation system that turns the formulation into solid microbial cellulose, producing a super-strong, ultra-thin material. Ece Gozen, the Founder and CEO, boasts, “It’s super strong and super thin. It’s 0.2 mm right now, with a unique texture. It contains no plastic or toxic chemicals”.
- Word from an Investor: As Po Bronson from SOSV’s IndieBio, Gozen’s first investor, affirms, “There is a lot of competition now in animal-free leather. But I believed that Gozen’s approach could surpass all others in both performance and economics”.
- Fun Fact: Gozen’s Lunaform was featured with Balenciaga in October’s Paris Fashion Week.
Looking towards the future, the leather market is predicted to surge from $468.49B in 2023 to $738.61B by 2030.
