蜜豆视频

On MycoWorks鈥� website, a model poses in a high-fashion hat and coat of what looks like leather. It鈥檚 thick, supple and bears a distinctive texture. Except, it鈥檚 not leather. It鈥檚 Reishi鈩�, a material made from mycelium, or the 'roots' of fungus.

MycoWorks is manufacturing a new category of materials grown from mycelium, starting with soft-materials like their leather alternative Reishi. Fully-grown in a highly scalable and easily replicable process, Reishi can be tanned and finished entirely plastic-free, a rarity in an industry dominated by plastic alternatives.

Matt Scullin, CEO of MycoWorks, joined us at the recent 蜜豆视频 Private Companies Showcase conference, to talk about the sustainability tailwinds propelling companies such as his. 鈥淭hough the materials we commonly use may appear entrenched, fashion and luxury are constantly being transformed by innovation. There is a real demand, and opportunity, as brands need new materials with lower environmental impact to meet both public climate commitments and strong consumer appetite for sustainable, durable luxury products."

What started off three decades ago as a technique for making "mycotecture" art, the company's patented Fine Mycelium technology now underpins a biotech company that attracted USD 125m in series C funding in 2022, qualifies for tax-exempt bond financing in the US because it uses only waste products, and poses a serious challenge to leather manufacturers, bringing to market the first noble material with a low-or-no plastic option.

Fashion consumers may not want to be guilt-tripped into changing their fashion choices, but they do want transparency and traceability as a way of feeling a connection to the brand. Many entrepreneurs in this space agree the industry needs regulation to curb over-production, unsustainable sourcing and unethical disposal of unwanted items; .

It鈥檚 about consuming less, but better,鈥� says Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Vestiaire Collective, a global peer-to-peer platform for second-hand luxury fashion goods. However, while his company positions 鈥渟ustainability as a core pillar,鈥� the 鈥渉unt for attractive prices鈥� remains the primary driver for most of their consumers.

Similarly, the Norwegian-born platform Gelato enables local, customized production on a global scale, allowing small e-commerce sellers to compete with large brands. Gelato is also finding ways to ensure consumers get value for money. According to Henrik M眉ller-Hansen, Gelato鈥檚 founder and CEO, this 鈥渃reator economy鈥� more or less did not exist 10 years ago. But, according to Goldman Sachs, &辩耻辞迟;.听

鈥淕en Z and millennials are willing to spend on products that are personalized, locally made and available on demand,鈥� says M眉ller-Hansen. Moreover, bespoke production reduces waste, transportation and carbon emissions.

Tech 鈥� and specifically AI 鈥� plays a major role in reducing costs and emissions. 鈥淎I touches every single part of our business, from customer service to image creation,鈥� says Bittner.

鈥淎nywhere between 20% and 80% of our engineering is done using AI 鈥� and that is all in the last 18 months,鈥� M眉ller-Hansen adds.

In the agri-tech space, AI can enhance productivity while minimizing environmental impact and energy usage. Companies such as California-headquartered BeeHero are leveraging AI for sustainable farming solutions. BeeHero specializes in precision pollination 鈥� meaning it uses smart hives with sensors to optimize crop pollination, boosting yields by up to 30%.

Phytech is a digital farming platform that optimizes irrigation, addressing farmers鈥� single largest cost: water. The Tel Aviv-based company helps reduce water usage by 20-30%, which leads to energy and emissions savings, says executive chairman Sarig Duek.

鈥淭he main outcome is optimizing yield. The second outcome is tremendous sustainability,鈥� says Duek, adding that his biggest challenge is converting farmers to a new way of thinking and operating. 鈥淵ou need a humble approach. Farming is a factory without a roof. You can鈥檛 promise the farmer better yields. You have to find a real value proposition, such as huge growth with early adoption. You need to listen to farmers, build trust and help expansion, even if it means adjusting your value proposition.鈥�

Simplicity is the key to adoption, according to Ben Alfi, CEO of Bluewhite, a platform that promotes resilient, data-driven farming by powering existing tractors with autonomous technology. 鈥淲e are dealing with companies that have a long legacy. The product needs to be simple and flexible. It doesn鈥檛 need to educate.鈥�, says Alfi.

鈥淓ven if the majority of farmers today prefer to stick with tried and tested methods, their children are more likely to embrace a technology-driven solution,鈥� says Omer Davidi, co-founder & CEO of BeeHero. 鈥淎s the next generation becomes more involved, they are keen to integrate technologies they are more engaged with into the business.鈥�

The disruptors who attract investment are those who can demonstrate they are not just sustainable or innovative for the sake of it. Solutions that are scalable and have a clear path to becoming profitable are the key to wooing investors.