Arda Biomaterials’ research on ‘New Grain’, an animal and plastic-free leather alternative crafted from waste barley grain from beer brewing industry, has received £1.1m of investment from Clean Growth Fund, the UK clean-tech venture capital fund.
- Arda’s new material has so far been entirely plastic-free in its development with biodegradability tests soon to be completed.
The PROJECT: Leveraging chemistry and materials science, Arda’s first transformation is turning the waste barley grain from the beer brewing industry into a leather alternative for use in the fashion, home goods, automotive industry, and more.
- In the next twelve months, Arda expects to have reached a finished material, in limited capacities, that can be sold to brands for the consumer market.
THE FUNDING: Though still early days for the company, given the market potential of Arda’s innovative technology, Clean Growth Fund, has led the £1.1m investment in the company, alongside Plug and Play, Serpentine Ventures, Satgana, and a group of angel investors from alternative protein, fashion, and the climate tech ecosystem.
ABOUT ARDA: Founded in 2022 by Edward TJ Mitchell and Brett Cotten, who met through Entrepreneur First—the global talent investor, the company, located in ‘The Leather Market’ building near London Bridge, is currently working with breweries along the ‘Bermondsey Beer Mile’ in South London, which was once the leather tanning district of the city of London.
WHAT THEY SAID:
The advent of cheap plastics wiped out a century of innovation in using natural inputs to make materials. Now, with sustainability in mind, we are discovering that the natural world has all the building blocks needed to create marvellous and sustainable materials. The production of leather is particularly resource intensive and the current alternatives are riddled with plastic. The chemical composition in waste grain is uniquely suited to be transformed into a material that can resemble many of the properties of leather and more.
— Edward TJ Mitchell
Chief Technology Officer
Arda Biomaterials
Many people believe leather is a by-product of cows; it’s really more of a co-product that subsidises the continuation of animal agriculture. The spent grain from breweries is typically burned, sent to landfill, anaerobically digested into gas, or fed to animals as cheap feed — all very low-value use cases. I am thrilled that we can skip the cow to create a truly novel product that to date has been 100% animal and plastic-free. Now we can drink our beer and wear it too. This financing round led by Clean Growth Fund will allow us to get to a finished material that we can begin selling to brands and put into consumers’ hands. I can’t wait to see others wearing it.
— Brett Cotten
Chief Executive Officer
Arda Biomaterials
We are delighted to invest in Arda Biomaterials and support the commercial development of their work: it’s a truly innovative solution to a significant environmental challenge. Arda’s technology has the potential to disrupt traditional leather production and significantly reduce the environmental impact of highly polluting sectors. We look forward to working with Brett, Edward, and the team to help bring this exciting technology to market.
— Susannah McClintock
Investment Director
Clean Growth Fund
