• Octarine Bio Partners with Portuguese Textile Leaders to Scale Bio-Based Dyes

• NFW Winds Down Operations Amid Sector Headwinds

• Spiber Showcases New Brewed Protein™ prototypes

• Spiber Opens the Door to Large-Scale Food Collaborations

• Latest Circ® Partnership Places it into the Supply Chains of Major Brands

The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #053

The biodesign sector is navigating a difficult landscape: closures, funding pressures, and strategic wind-downs are echoing past struggles like Renewcell. Yet despite the turbulence, the fire, resilience, and sense of community remain undiminished. Our takeaway from the recent developments — the headwinds are real, but so is the resolve, and the world of biodesign is quietly but steadily reinforcing its foundations.

Octarine Bio Partners with Portuguese Textile Leaders to Scale Bio-Based Dyes

Octarine Bio has entered a strategic partnership with Portuguese textile leaders Impetus Group, Acatel, and Positive Materials to industrialise PurePalette™, Octarine’s bio-based dyes. The collaboration spans the full textile value chain—dye production, fabric dyeing, finishing, and garment manufacturing—and is backed by a three-year offtake agreement. By testing and integrating PurePalette™ in real production environments, the partners aim to demonstrate significant reductions in toxic inputs and achieve up to 70% lower dyeing-related carbon emissions, without compromising performance or versatility. This initiative positions PurePalette™ as ready for industrial adoption and sets the stage for future collaborations with global fashion brands seeking lower-impact solutions.

Image: Octarine Bio

NFW Winds Down Operations Amid Sector Headwinds

Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), the Illinois-based innovator behind Mirum, has announced it is winding down operations after years of turbulent performance. While CEO Steve Zika emphasised this is not a full closure and the company is still “exploring options,” the move leaves around 15 employees facing an uncertain future. NFW had drawn $1 million from a $3 million county-backed credit line, underscoring the financial strain. The development highlights the ongoing challenges biodesign companies face in scaling breakthrough materials despite strong brand interest, echoing earlier struggles like Renewcell. NFW’s difficulties underscore both the risks of commercialising at scale and the potential opportunities for other players to build on its pioneering work.

Spiber Showcases Brewed Protein™ Prototypes and Expands into Nutrition Sector

Spiber showcased two new prototypes that use Brewed Protein™ at the Biofab Fair in London. One was a protein-based finish that offers a soft feel with durable properties, and a protein-based surface that creates a coating with similar properties to a leather textile.

The biotechnology company also announced that they are expanding beyond the realm of textiles production and into the nutritional sector. Spiber shared that their scalable platform allows for research from both a gram and tonne scale and invited those looking for animal-free protein alternatives to get in touch to pursue large-scale food application partnerships.

Circ® Secures Five-Year Supply Deal with Arvind Limited

Textiles recycling company, Circ® has gone beyond the brands and signed a five-year deal with Arvind Limited in India. Arvind Limited is one of the world’s largest suppliers of fabrics to global brands. This partnership outlines Arvind’s commitment to purchasing Circ ® lyocell fibre and recycled polyester chips for integration into their large-scale manufacturing process. This will plug Circ® directly into the supply chain across renowned brands.

Pressing Pause, but the Story Goes On

Over the past year, this newsletter has become a place where we share breakthroughs, spotlight bold ideas and market shifts and connect with a community that cares deeply about shaping a more sustainable future.

We’re stepping back for a short while. Not because the news has slowed (far from it, as you can tell from this issue!) – because we are working on something bigger. Something we think you’ll love.

Here’s what we can say for now:

✨ The breakthrough stories aren’t going anywhere and will continue to be published, so please do keep getting in touch, and we can keep sharing the incredible work being done.

✨ What’s coming next will take into account everything you’ve told us you value, the insights, the discoveries, and the behind-the-scenes look at innovation.

✨ The door will remain open, we’re just putting the newsletter on pause while we build what’s coming next.

Stay tuned!

For those who stay with us, you will have exclusive access to occasional insights from us, and you’ll be the first to know when we’re ready to lift the curtain on what we are working on.

Until then, thank you for reading, sharing, and being part of this journey. The best is yet to come.

Ariyana & the House of BioDesign team

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited. All rights reserved.

• Reports Highlight Over $50 Billion Locked in Textile Waste

• Living Ink Unveils CMYK Compatibility with New Croc Partnership

• Cypris Materials Sells Core Technology

• Ambercycle Enters the Japanese Market

• A&B Smart Materials Secures Over £90,000

• Sun Bear Biofuture Awarded £60,000

  ---

  The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #051

August was far from sleepy.

While many of us have been soaking up late-summer light (and maybe trying to remember how to holiday without checking emails), the world of materials and design innovation has been buzzing. This issue will bring you up to speed on all the summer highlights.

Reports Highlight Over $50 Billion Locked in Textile Waste

BCG’s latest report has everyone doing the math about the textiles waste opportunity. The report states that there is $50B worth of value in textile waste — but 80% of global waste still isn’t recycled.
The roadmap?

• Smarter collection systems

• Improved sorting + processing

• A genuine market appetite for recycled materials

To many of us, these are not new ideas — but a big consultancy spotlight along with regulatory pressure could be the shove the industry needs to move that stubborn 80%.

Of course, not everyone has been on the sidelines as Potter Clarkson’s new data shows increasing patent filings in textiles, coatings, and packaging within the synthetic biology space. This is an indicator that more players are getting involved in the innovation of the next-gen materials that are gaining traction.

Innovation Developments

IMAGE CREDIT: Living Ink

Living Ink Unveils CMYK Compatibility with New Croc Partnership

Crocs and Living Ink Technologies have rolled out the first commercial algae-based black pigment in full CMYK packaging. Partnering with EcoEnclose, over 3.2 million Jibbitz™ boxes have already shipped.

Algae Ink™ is made from upcycled algae waste, turning a nutritional supplement byproduct into a carbon-negative pigment that prints beautifully — and sustainably.

Cypris Materials Sells Technology Platform

Cypris Materials, Inc. has harnessed the transformative power of structural colour into a platform for industry-leading companies. During August, the company announced that Cypris Materials, Inc. had sold its technology platform to a leading global coatings company. The platform is backed by a portfolio of patents with exclusive colours relianton the company’s technology.

Funding

Ambercycle Enters the Japanese Market

Goldwin’s PlayEarth Fund has invested in Ambercycle, bringing their regenerated polyester cycora® to Japan’s famously exacting textile market. cycora® is expected to be featured in Goldwins’ Fall/Winter 2025 collection in a limited capacity, with a full-scale rollout planned for the Fall/Winter 2027 collection.

As Ambercycle’s CEO Shay Sethi puts it: "together we’re showing that circularity isn’t a distant future—it’s a new standard with solutions being built right now.”

A&B Smart Materials Secures Over £90,000

A&B Smart Materials wins a £91,250 equity-free grant from the Henry Royce Institute. The funding from the UK’s National Institute for Advanced Materials Research will accelerate A&B Smart Materials’ biodegradable, bio-based solutions for the hygiene and agriculture path to market.

Sun Bear Biofuture Awarded £60,000

Sun Bear Biofuture is a synthetic biology start-up that produces an alternative to palm oil using precision fermentation. The company was awarded a Solutions Catalyst grant from AberInnovation for a £60,000 autumn collaboration project.

👟 Coming Soon → Behind the Breakthrough with shoe designer Aisha Kujik

IMAGE CREDITS: AISHA KUJIK

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited. All rights reserved.

• Patrick McDowell pioneers triple-material collaborations across luxury and commercial markets

• Colorifix's $18M round enables biotech dyeing democratisation beyond exclusive partnerships

• Hoxton Farms and Spiber expand biomaterials into food, furniture, and pharmaceutical applications

• Circulose's rapid recovery demonstrates a multi-sector validation model

The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #049

The biomaterials industry is undergoing a fundamental strategic shift. While early-stage companies historically focused on perfecting single applications within specific sectors, the most successful players are now adopting diversified platform approaches that span multiple industries. This week's developments demonstrate why cross-sector strategies are not just accelerating commercialisation—they're becoming essential for survival.

From Patrick McDowell's simultaneous partnerships across three distinct material technologies to Hoxton Farms' expansion from food into pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, the pattern is clear: companies that can serve multiple industries are securing more investment, achieving faster scale, and building more resilient business models than their single-sector counterparts.

The Multi-Sector Design: Patrick McDowell's Platform Approach

Patrick McDowell's recent collaborations reveal how forward-thinking designers are becoming commercial testing grounds for cross-industry material applications. Rather than focusing on single partnerships, they're orchestrating a diversified portfolio that validates biomaterial performance across luxury, commercial, and international manufacturing contexts.

Their Sparxell partnership demonstrates this platform thinking in action. Beyond creating a couture piece featuring dual expressions of structural colour technology—sophisticated matte and brilliant shimmer effects achieved through physics rather than synthetic additives—McDowell is simultaneously launching a commercially accessible shirt dress. This dual-market approach proves the material can perform across price points and production scales, essential validation for broader industry adoption.

The Circ collaboration, featuring Munroe Bergdorf in a custom design using Circ Lyocell (incorporating 40% reclaimed textile waste), extends this validation into the circular materials space. By demonstrating that post-consumer content can achieve luxury aesthetics, McDowell is essentially providing proof-of-concept for mass market applications.

Gown Patrick McDowell x Sparxell Image: PATRICK MCDOWELL

Custom Patrick McDowell x Circ Lyocell gown Image: PATRICK MCDOWELL

Most strategically, their Circulose partnership operates as an international manufacturing laboratory. Working with AGI Denim (Pakistan), KIPAS Textiles (Turkey), Dongheng Textile (China), and Pratibha Syntex (India), McDowell is testing how fully recycled textile material performs across diverse production environments, regulatory contexts, and cultural design requirements. Each manufacturing partner contributes two pieces, creating a global dataset of material performance that serves the broader industry.

McDowell's approach isn't just about design innovation—it's about creating a commercial validation platform that de-risks biomaterial adoption for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers across multiple markets simultaneously.

Circulose's Multi-Sector Validation Model

McDowell isn’t the only one to secure a partnership with Circulose; the H&M group and MANGO have also thrown their weight behind the textiles-recycling company. Circulose's remarkable transformation from Renewcell's bankruptcy to securing these major partnerships demonstrates how diversified validation strategies can accelerate commercial recovery.

The H&M Group partnership provides large-scale validation across multiple brands (H&M, Cos, Weekday, Arket), proving the material can meet diverse aesthetic and performance requirements within a single retail ecosystem. This breadth of application within one partnership reduces risk while providing extensive market data.

MANGO's positioning as Circulose's premier 'Scaling Partner' adds fast-fashion validation to the luxury applications proven through McDowell's work. This combination of market segments provides comprehensive commercial proof that supports expansion into other sectors, potentially including home textiles, automotive applications, or technical fabrics.

Rather than rebuilding through a single-sector focus, Circulose is leveraging multi-sector validation to demonstrate platform viability— a strategy that appears to be accelerating its commercial recovery.

From Exclusive to Accessible: Colorifix's Platform Improves Accessibility

Colorifix's $18M funding round, led by Inter IKEA Group, exemplifies how biomaterial companies are evolving from exclusive partnerships to platform accessibility. Their microbial dyeing technology—replacing petrochemicals with engineered microorganisms—was previously limited to strategic partners, constraining both revenue and market validation opportunities.

The launch of Colorifix Studio fundamentally changes this dynamic. By making their technology available in flexible quantities and expanded colour ranges, Colorifix is transitioning from a single-client service model to a platform that can serve fashion, home goods, automotive, and potentially medical textiles simultaneously.

Colorifix founders have said that their process could be used in applications beyond textiles. Inter IKEA likely also sees this potential and has already considered how it could be used in their entire product ecosystem, from furniture upholstery to home textiles to packaging materials. This cross-category thinking enables Colorifix to scale faster while providing IKEA with integrated sustainability solutions across multiple product lines.

Multi-Biomaterial Integration: The Korvaa Shoe as Cross-Technology Platform

Modern Synthesis's collaboration with Ecovative and Ourobio on the Korvaa Shoe represents the logical evolution of platform thinking: rather than perfecting single materials for a single product, these companies are proving that biomaterial integration can create superior products across multiple applications.

The shoe's material architecture—bacterial nanocellulose uppers, 3D-printed PHA midsoles, and seven-day mycelium soles—demonstrates technical capabilities that extend far beyond footwear. Bacterial nanocellulose could serve medical applications, automotive interiors, or electronics casings. PHA 3D printing has applications in packaging, medical devices, and consumer goods. Rapid mycelium growth could revolutionise furniture, construction materials, and packaging.

By proving these materials work together in a demanding application like footwear, the consortium is essentially validating platform technologies for dozens of potential industries. This integrated approach reduces R&D costs per application while accelerating commercial readiness across sectors.

Beyond Textiles: Platform Technologies Diversify Revenue Streams

The most compelling evidence for cross-industry strategies comes from companies explicitly building platform technologies for multiple sectors.

Hoxton Farms' partnership with Mitsui Chemicals Group illustrates this perfectly. While starting with Hoxton Fat for food applications, they're explicitly positioning their biomanufacturing platform for future applications such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and sustainable materials. By partnering Mitsui's technical expertise with Hoxton’s novel bioreactors, they're creating production capabilities that can serve multiple high-value industries simultaneously.

This platform approach provides critical advantages: R&D costs are spread across sectors, reduced dependence on any single industry's adoption timeline, and technical synergies where requirements from one application improve performance in others. Food-grade safety standards enhance pharmaceutical applications; cosmetic aesthetic requirements improve consumer materials; and pharmaceutical precision benefits food ingredients.

Spiber's expansion into furniture through Karimoku Furniture's sofa upholstered in Brewed Protein™ fiber demonstrates similar platform thinking. Having proven their material in textile applications, they're now validating performance in durability-demanding furniture applications. Success here opens automotive, construction, and industrial applications, each representing substantial revenue opportunities.

This cross-sector validation strategy mirrors Modern Meadow's approach with Mercedes-Benz, where their INNOVERA™ technology was integrated into the CONCEPT AMG GT XX as a bio-design leather alternative. By combining recycled AMG GT3 racing car tires with plant-based proteins and biopolymers, Modern Meadow demonstrated how biomaterials can meet automotive performance standards while offering design flexibility equivalent to traditional leather. Their development partnership with Mercedes-Benz explicitly targets series production applications, positioning INNOVERA™ as a platform technology for next-generation automotive interiors across the luxury vehicle segment.

The Platform Advantage: Why Diversification Drives Commercial Success

These developments reveal why cross-industry platform strategies are outperforming single-sector approaches:

Risk Mitigation: Multiple revenue streams reduce vulnerability to any single industry's adoption cycles, regulatory changes, or market disruptions. If fashion adoption slows, furniture or automotive applications can provide continued growth.

Accelerated ROI: R&D investments generate returns across multiple sectors rather than depending on single-application success. Development costs for bacterial nanocellulose serve medical, automotive, and consumer applications simultaneously.

Technical Synergies: Requirements from different industries drive faster innovation. Automotive durability standards improve textile performance; medical safety requirements enhance food applications; and fashion aesthetics improve furniture materials.

Investment Attractiveness: Platform technologies offer larger addressable markets and more predictable scaling paths than single-application companies, making them more attractive to investors and strategic partners.

Market Validation: Success in one sector provides proof-of-concept for adjacent applications. Luxury fashion validation supports mass market adoption; food safety certification enhances pharmaceutical applications.

The European Commission's withdrawal of the Green Claims Directive makes these proactive platform strategies even more significant. Without regulatory pressure driving adoption, companies must build commercial viability through market demand across multiple sectors rather than compliance requirements.

Strategic Implications for Industry Stakeholders

For biomaterial companies, these examples demonstrate that platform thinking isn't just about market expansion—it's about fundamental commercial sustainability. Single-sector strategies may achieve technical excellence but struggle with commercial viability due to concentrated adoption risk.

For traditional manufacturers and retailers, early partnerships with platform-focused biomaterial companies provide competitive advantages across multiple product lines rather than isolated improvements. Inter IKEA's investment in Colorifix potentially transforms their entire textile supply chain, not just specific products.

For investors, platform strategies offer more predictable scaling paths and larger addressable markets than single-application investments. The ability to pivot between sectors provides resilience that single-focus companies cannot match.

The companies leading this transition understand that material innovation requires ecosystem thinking across industries, not isolated development within sectors. Success depends on building technologies that can serve multiple markets simultaneously, creating commercial sustainability through diversification rather than depending on single-sector adoption.

Our latest Behind the Breakthroughs piece is now out!

One of our writers, Aastha Kothari,​ sat down with Marie Rapin to discuss HUID’s Mission to rethink packaging

With the growing urgency of the global plastic crisis, it's clear that swapping petroleum-based plastics for compostable alternatives isn’t enough.

Read the full piece here »»»

Until next time,
Ariyana & the House of BioDesign Team

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited. All rights reserved.

• Chanel launches NEVOLD to preserve high-value fibres

• Fashion for Good and Arvind Limited launch Future Forward Factories India

• Lululemon takes Proactive Stride Towards Sustainable Materials

• French Senate pass Anti-Ultra-Fast Fashion Bill

The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #048

The fashion industry, ranging from luxury to fast fashion, is increasingly under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Luxury, for instance, faces consumer backlash over practices like burning unsold waste, and its reliance on prized natural fibres like cashmere and silk is threatened by climate change. This scarcity is prompting luxury houses to reclaim value from their waste.

Chanel Launches NEVOLD to preserve high-value fibres

Chanel, for example, recently announced NEVOLD, an initiative to create a circular ecosystem for natural textile and leather waste. The premise behind the initiative is to build an ecosystem that is capable of transforming waste generated by Chanel and other clients at scale and transforming them into new high-quality materials that can be used by the Maison itself or sold to others. As Chanel's president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky stated, "If we want to continue to exist and to do what we are doing, we have to anticipate and to see how we can rethink this idea of materials and raw materials."

Driving Change in Manufacturing: Future Forward Factories India

This proactive stance by luxury brands, driven by resource constraints and brand preservation, mirrors a broader imperative for sustainability now gaining traction across the entire textile supply chain. A significant leap in this direction was recently announced with the launch of Future Forward Factories India, a groundbreaking initiative by Fashion for Good and Arvind Limited. This ambitious project aims to transform Tier 2 textile factories – the backbone of the supply chain and a major source of emissions and resource consumption – into environmentally responsible and economically viable operations. It involves developing an open-source, modular blueprint for sustainable textile manufacturing and constructing a first-of-its-kind physical facility in Gujarat, India.

This pioneering factory is projected to achieve a remarkable 93% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and save approximately 60 litres of water per kilogram of fabric compared to conventional methods, striving to be the industry's first near-net-zero textile production centre. This initiative underscores a collective effort to move beyond individual brand sustainability to tackle systemic challenges at the manufacturing core, providing a replicable model for the global industry.

Lululemon Swiftly & Anorak
Image: Samsara Eco

Sportswear's Proactive Stride Towards Sustainable Materials

While luxury grapples with dwindling natural resources, the sportswear industry has historically leaned on abundant, low-cost synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon. These materials offer durability and performance but pose significant environmental challenges due to their fossil fuel origins and difficulty in recycling. As regulations like the EU’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) aim to reduce textile waste, the pressure on sportswear to innovate is mounting.

Interestingly, only a few players in the mainstream sportswear market seem to be truly getting ahead of this challenge. PANGAIA has consistently been a frontrunner in material innovation, striving to produce "planet-positive" products. Their latest release, the 365 Seamless Activewear, showcases this with 100% bio-based EVO® Nylon derived from castor oil, alongside Hyosung’s regen™ BIO Max elastane, made from 98% renewable resources.

Beyond PANGAIA, it is Lululemon standing out among legacy sportswear giants for its long-term commitment to a circular ecosystem for high-performance products. Despite past "greenwashing" criticisms, Lululemon is taking tangible steps, continuing its partnership with ZymoChem to scale bio-based nylon 6,6 and, in May, collaborating with biorecycling company Samsara Eco and carbon recycling giant Lanzatech. Their innovative Packable Anorak, which uses enzymatically recycled polyester and nylon, demonstrates the potential for these recycled materials to match the look and feel of virgin fibres. Further solidifying their commitment, Lululemon and Samsara Eco have announced a 10-year offtake agreement, aiming for Samsara Eco's materials to fulfil approximately 20% of Lululemon's future nylon 6,6 and polyester needs by 2030.

Samsara Eco’s full circle materials
Image: Samsara Eco

Fast Fashion's Legislative Wake-Up Call

This push for innovation from within the sportswear industry, largely ahead of broad legislative mandates, contrasts sharply with the direct, legislative pressure now being applied to the fast fashion sector. France has recently passed a pioneering bill directly targeting "ultra-fast fashion" platforms like Shein and Temu. This legislation aims to curb the environmental and social impact of the industry by imposing escalating eco-taxes on individual items, potentially reaching up to €10 by 2030 (capped at 50% of the item's price), and introducing advertising bans for such brands and their influencers.

The intent is to discourage overconsumption and promote more sustainable practices, though critics argue the bill appears to be more lenient on established European fast-fashion companies like Zara and H&M. Crucially, the bill's journey is far from over. Its implementation faces significant potential hurdles from the European Union. Provisions like the eco-tax and advertising restrictions could be seen as infringing upon the EU's single market principles, free movement of goods, and non-discrimination rules. This raises the likelihood of infringement procedures from the European Commission and possible intervention from the Court of Justice of the European Union, which could ultimately require France to amend or even withdraw parts of the law to comply with broader EU regulations.

A Multifaceted Pursuit of Sustainability

Whether it’s a push to stay ahead of competitors, win the hearts of consumers, reclaim resources or avoid clashing with regulations, the entire textiles ecosystem is navigating a complex shift. While the pace and urgency may not be ideal, there is no doubt that there is a convergence of drivers reshaping how garments are made and consumed.

Until next time,

Ariyana & the House of BioDesign Team

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited. All rights reserved.

• Carbon Cell Complete PreSeed Round With £1.2 M 

• Solena Materials Closes Seed Round With $6.7 M

• Alternative Protein Sector To Receive £4 M 

• Material Innovation Initiative Relaunches

• Are We Entering an Era of Post-policy Resilience?

The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #046

Carbon Cell Complete PreSeed Round With £1.2 M 

Carbon Cell, a materials start-up, has completed its pre-seed round with £1.2 M. This new injection of capital will go towards scaling the company’s plastic-free foam production as they move from batch to continuous production as well as trailing and perfecting their product with the support of early customers. This round was led by Green Angel Ventures and Counteract and the round was supported by HERmesa, RCA Design and Innovation S/EIS Fund and One Planet Capital. 

Solena Materials Closes Seed Round With $6.7 M

Solena Materials, a London-based biomaterials start-up, has closed its seed round with $6.7 M (£5 M). This investment will support the transition of Solena Materials to a larger facility, which will house the commercialisation of their first product, which is expected to launch within the next three years. The investors behind this seed round are Sir David Harding, SynBioVen and Insempra. 

Alternative Protein Sector To Receive £4 M 

Material Innovation Initiative Relaunches

In September 2024, the Material Innovation Initiative (MII) announced its decision that they were winding down its operations. Eight months later, this decision is being reversed by the board. This decision comes after the board reflected on the global backpedalling on sustainability from organisations and governments. Nicole Rawling, CEO of MII, shared that “The Material Innovation Initiative is re-launching with renewed commitment, energy, and purpose”. To support this relaunch, the MII are asking for donations with a donor offering to match $100,000.

Are We Entering an Era of Post-policy Resilience?

See you soon,

Ariyana & the House of BioDesign Team

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited. All rights reserved.

This month, we’re diving into one of the most powerful convergences in sustainable innovation today: Biodesign and AI

From plastic-eating enzymes to protein-based textiles, AI is radically accelerating how we discover, design, and scale with biology – and reshaping the role of almost everyone from scientists to designers in the process.

Our latest deep dive explores:

• How generative models like AlphaFold and Cradle are redefining protein and material design

• What this means for biodesigners, material scientists, and systems thinkers

• The real limitations of AI in biology—and how to design around them

• How this shift could rewire entire industries, from fashion to recycling

Read the full report below

Whether you’re designing enzymes, ecosystems, or end-of-life materials, the landscape is changing fast, and we are only seeing the start of the impact AI will have.

Warmly,
Ariyana Rayatt

Founder of House of BioDesign

_{Please don’t copy, share, or reuse without permission.}

Brightfiber Textiles Recycling Factory
Image: Brightfiber Textiles

In recent weeks, there has been no shortage of developments across the biodesign sector, ranging from investments, product launches, commercial collaborations, and technology progression. In particular, the textiles recycling sector is seeing progress in strides, seemingly bouncing back from a previously gloomy landscape. 

The BioDesign Newsletter

Issue #045

Market Insights

Cultivated Meat Companies Break Through Cost Barriers

A report that has seemingly gone under the radar is Lever VC’s report: A Second Generation of Cultivated Meat Companies Breaks Through Projected Cost Barriers. 

The report assesses the progress the market has made despite initial trepidation in 2013 with the debut of the first cultivated beef burger. The insights offer an optimistic story for other sustainability sectors which have parallels to the cultivated meat space. 

Biodesign & AI: How AI and Machine Learning Are Accelerating Bio-Based Innovation

AI may be a buzzword at the moment, however, that is not to say there isn’t real potential. This month's report from House of BioDesign digs into the benefits, limitations, and potential that AI can bring to the BioDesign sector.

This report, to be released on 6 May 2025, will only be available to House of BioDesign Members, so be sure to join the community to stay up-to-date on the latest insights.

Investments

Vinted launches Vinted Ventures

Vinted Group, the home of Vinted, the marketplace for second-hand goods, has announced that they have launched an investment arm, Vinted Ventures. 

The intention behind the Vinted group has always been to help reshape consumer behaviour towards second-hand goods, and this announcement is their latest move to accelerate this message. Vinted Ventures will invest, from Series A to Series C, in startups that resonate with their mission around altering consumption behaviours, with the ticket ranging from €0.5M - €10M (£0.4M - £8.5M).

Arda Biomaterials raises over £4M 

London-based biomaterials company Arda Biomaterials has closed its latest funding round with £4.05M. The round was led by Oyster Bay Venture Capital with investors including Green Angel Venture, Clean Growth Fund and Kadmos Capital. With this injection ,Arda will continue developments on its product New Grain™, a leather-like material which has already been seen in collaborations with BEEN London and Beavertown Brewery. 

Eeden raises €18M in Series A 

Textiles recycling company, Eeden has raised €18M (£15.3M) in their Series A. Eeden will use this funding to build a demonstration plant and scale its operations. This round was led by Netherlands-based VC, Forbion, with additional backing from Henkel Ventures, NRW.Venture, TechVision Fund, High-Tech Gründerfonds and D11Z. Ventures.

Until next time,

Ariyana & The House of BioDesign Team

The BioDesign Newsletter is an independent publication.

_{This newsletter is for informational purposes only — it’s not legal, financial, or professional advice.
© 2025 House of BioDesign Limited.}

_{Please don’t copy, share, or reuse without permission.}