Participated · Seed · Jun 2022

Modern Synthesis develops nanocellulose-based materials and textiles that are ultimately biodegradable and can be textured or formed to mimic leather or spread into thin, wind-resistant films. The company buys nanocellulose from existing producers and processes it into a range of materials, allowing manipulation not possible with simple plant fibers. In 2023 it produced an artificial leather for Danish fashion brand Ganni, which used the material in a handbag containing no petrochemicals. The startup emphasizes that its cellulosic materials decompose into matter similar to that found on a forest floor and do not melt like petrochemical synthetics, making applications such as car dashboards plausible. Founders Jen Keane (CEO) and Ben Reeve (CTO) are working to quintuple production at the pilot plant. The company is also exploring future uses including smart textiles with embedded electronics as well as conventional apparel and interior applications. Modern Synthesis develops a microbial textile platform that leverages bacteria to transform agricultural-waste sugars into nanocellulose, a biodegradable material. Its “microbial weaving” process uses robotics to place scaffolds around which genetically modified bacteria grow materials in roughly 10 to 14 days. The approach lets the company shape pieces during growth (similar to 3D printing), eliminating scraps and enabling customizable biomaterials; it has built a shoe upper and delivered materials to a “key sportswear customer” for prototyping. The startup aims to displace animal- and petrochemical-derived leathers, textiles, and films and to create a new class of sustainable materials. Most of the seed capital will fund a London pilot facility (lab, sampling and pilot production) targeted to be operational by Q3 2022, and to expand the team and R&D capacity.

Participated · Seed · Aug 2021

Founded in 2020 by Maricel Saenz, Compound Foods uses synthetic biology and food science to recreate coffee by extracting key molecules and reformulating them with sustainable ingredients. The company aims to reproduce regional flavor and aroma profiles (for example Costa Rican or Brazilian notes) without growing coffee beans, and notes there is no regulatory definition preventing it from calling the product "coffee." Compound Foods emphasizes lower water use compared with traditional coffee production and cites the 140 liters of water typically used across the coffee growth chain per cup. The startup is working to improve its formulation and scale the brand, targeting a soft launch by the end of the year. It is hiring across technology, marketing, product and business teams as it readies commercialization. Financially, the company has raised a total of $5.3 million to date, including the most recent seed round.