Material Factors

🇸🇬 Paris is eternal. Singapore is supernal. Marina Bay Sands didn't exist when I first arrived in Singapore. Gardens by the Bay was still mostly seawater. Happy to share that 🅰️ntler and tocco will be an informal little fireside chat. See you there ⭐️

Many things can go wrong at any given step in the supply chain of a biological product—from the raw materials or components coming from far-off places, to the transportation, warehousing, or logistics. Through a BioMADE project, a team of researchers at Georgia Tech has developed a new digital tool that will help bio-based businesses to stress test their supply chains, offering an affordable way to assess risks and avoid or minimize potential disruptions:

If you have read our book you will know that bioplastics were invented almost TWO CENTURIES ago. Long before fossil-fuel plastics. Cellulose Acetate is a 19th century invention. Now FOAMED Cellulose Diacetate is on the scene. Bit of a game changer... But please let's improve waste management. Let's not be dumping foamed CDA into the ocean, just cos we can. https://lnkd.in/e-JRmBZ2

Terrarium’s first global event is here! Indo-US round-table for founders developing sustainable materials Dear Founder, We are putting together an invite-only round-table consisting of early-stage founders from India and the US to discuss areas of strategic interest to your sustainable/advanced material startups. During this session, you can share challenges and learning pertinent to scaling your ventures and collaborate on areas of mutual interest. If you are a founder based in India or New York, developing new materials and interested to participate, register soon! More details in the Luma form below. The event is dual remote & in-person in Manhattan, New York on October 22nd. Presented in partnership with fellow community builders: Erum Azeez Khan (Messaginglab), Aaron Nesser (Material Factors), Ella Tatiana King Example topics include: Regulations, Off-Take Agreements, Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing, Technology Transfer, New Markets, Trade Protocols and more.

In 2022, we launched a venture fund focused on synthetic biology enabled climate solutions. Today, we’re announcing the rebranding of that fund from Climate Capital Bio to Juniper! ⬇️ Juniper is THE Climate Biotech fund. We’re focused on investing in breakthrough science ready to be commercialized to solve the world’s toughest sustainability problems. Check out our new website at www.junipervc.com. So why the change? Climate Capital has a great brand but is known as a generalist within climate. Here at Juniper, we’re specialists. Our new brand, Juniper, is specifically focused on the intersection of biotech and sustainability. With the Juniper brand, we are building a destination for deeptech founders in the climate space and a purpose built firm that can best serve them. At Juniper, we work with other early stage investors to share our technical due diligence and create coalitions of investors to catalyze more funding in climate biotech, in addition to making our own investments. Our goal is to give founders working on solutions that could revolutionize (and decarbonize) trillions in market share more opportunities to find aligned investors to help them build their businesses at the earliest stages. This change is catalyzed by a $3M SSBCI grant we won from the US Department of Commerce to build a non-profit incubator, Juniper Zero. Juniper Zero prepares climate biotech scientists and first time founders to become extraordinary entrepreneurs by providing access to educational resources, mentors, capital networks and help them win non-dilutive funding, entirely for free. Building on our track record as scientists, founders, and our experience investing in 30 early stage climate biotech companies together, Juniper Fund I is now raised and we have invested in 15 companies who are working on everything from scaling up bio-manufacturing, mining for critical minerals with microbes, feeding a growing population in a changing climate, to decarbonizing chemical synthesis. We named our firm Juniper because the Juniper genus is one of the most diverse and hardy in nature: the trees thrive in an extremely wide range of habitats, are amazingly resilient, and are renowned for their longevity. Here at Juniper, our life’s work is to support founders as they grow world-changing companies that are built to last.

💥Just signed today ♻️ Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability. Under its provisions, SB 707 creates a framework for producers and other participants in the value chain to take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products and textiles, including repair, recycling, and reuse of garments and fibers. Once implemented, SB 707 will not only reduce the amount of textiles sent to landfills but will also support the development of upcycling and recycling across California and help address the environmental impacts of “fast fashion” and the “throwaway culture” it has abetted. #textiles #textilerecycling #circularity

100+ new materials startups to watch 👚 🪡 🧱 Biodegradable fibers, carbon-capturing cement, seaweed-based bioplastics and mycelium-grown leather. The future of new materials is here to stay. But wearing it, building with it or unwrapping a packaging with it has yet to hit the mainstream to the extent that it can significantly reduce the emissions impact of materials. → Combined, the buildings and construction, fashion and plastics sector account for a staggering 51% of GHG emissions. That’s why bold Founders are at the forefront of a new era for materials, leveraging technology to drive social impact, close the loop on material waste and unlock large-scale partnerships. Get to know the future of materials: B'ZEOS Kelpi Searo Labs OCEANIUM Arda Biomaterials Banofi Leather CanvaLoop Evrnu®, SPC Syre Circulose MarinaTex HUID tocco TômTex Inc. WasteBase FLO Materials Ecovon Circ® Infinited Fiber Company altM Kintra Fibers AltMat BioFluff one • fıve UNCAGED Innovations Rheom Materials SMOBYA Spiber Inc. String Bio Private Limited Werewool Woolchemy Aruna Revolution Checkerspot Modern Synthesis Simplifyber Xampla Bloom Labs Bolt Threads Modern Meadow Tandem Repeat Check out the full list of 200+ materials innovators: https://lnkd.in/e-QUJUBB And come and meet some of the frontrunners IRL at the HackSummit this December: https://lnkd.in/e7KsacjC

How to scale a bio-based beauty product. Lillian Augusta Beauty set out to replace synthetic braiding hair with a safer and more comfortable plant-based material. It started when founder Jannice Newson noticed her braiding hair was starting to cause allergic reactions — aka a chemical sensitivity (learn more via Alden Wicker & EcoCult) The first product was made from an invasive plant, but it didn’t have the performance or scalability, so Newson used an existing biopolymer platform to rapidly scale and derisk, creating a safer and more comfortable produce while staying true to her values. We loved this interview! Check out her story from scientist to founder and how she developed her new braiding hair at www.materialfactors.org https://lnkd.in/gEJ9CYn2 #biodesignjobs #biodesign #findyourniche #biomaterials #cleanbeauty #braids #hair #braidinghairstyles #sustainablehaircare

I've heard that promo swag, the cheap stuff given out at conferences and trade shows, can be particularly toxic. I'm looking for a company that also heard this rumor (or opened a box of string bags and was hit in the face with a chemical smell) so switched gears to source something safer, certified, and/or natural. Is that your company? Please get in touch!

AERATED HEMPCRETE A potential future material for injected insulation, sound absorption, or packaging applications? The findings: - Up to 3x cheaper & - Up to 40% lighter, when compared to regular hempcrete; I’ll investigate & develop it further.   #hemp #hempcrete #sustainability #innovation #material #startups #construction #packaging #design