July 10, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

UNCAGED Innovations, a biomaterials startup founded in 2020, explains that today’s eco-conscious leathers rely heavily on plastic-based materials –  a fact it aims to address through its mission to redefine the use of leather in consumer and automotive goods. 

To do this, UNCAGED is developing a platform of biomimetic substitutes for animal hides based on composite plant-based proteins and polypeptides.

Beginning with leveraging grain proteins as the fundamental matrix and incorporating additional natural components, UNCAGED’s bio-leather mimics the fibril structure of collagen to provide the performance of animal leather, while mitigating the environmentally harmful practices of the traditional industry. 

This work is gaining the company much-deserved attention, evident in having been awarded the highly-coveted National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in support of the R&D of its novel technology. 

“The current market landscape for alternative leathers relies heavily on plastic-based materials,” said Stephanie Downs, CEO and co-founder, UNCAGED. “Our technology platform enables us to fuse biodegradable elements that each provide unique characteristics, such as texture, strength, flexibility, water resistance, color, and fragrance. We can tune our formulation to meet different performance specifications.”

In support of this mission, UNCAGED announced it has secured $2 million in Seed funding from aligned, mission-driven investors including InMotion Ventures, JLR’s investment arm, and with participation from VegInvest, Stray Dog Capital, Alwyn Capital, Hack Capital, and GlassWalls Syndicate.

InMotion Ventures noted that UNCAGED’s mission to create eco-conscious materials aligns with its goal of investing in exceptional entrepreneurs that are setting new benchmarks in quality, technology, and sustainability. 

“We are excited to support UNCAGED Innovations and its vision for the future of biomaterials,” said Mike Smeed, managing director, InMotion Ventures. “The company’s commitment to material innovation supports our focus on investing in purpose-driven companies driving positive change across the industry.”

As a partner of UNCAGED Innovations, JLR added that it sees sustainable leather alternatives as integral to its modern luxury vision. Based in Britain, JLR has two design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities, an engine manufacturing center, and a battery assembly center in the UK. The company also has vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria, and Slovakia, along with seven tech hubs around the world.

Currently, the company has developed a roadmap to reduce emissions across its operations and value chains by 2030 with electrification at the center of its strategy. By the end of the decade, JLR stated that it plans for its Range Rover, Discovery, and Defender auto lines to each have a total electric model, and for its Jaguar line to be entirely electric. And is in the process of transforming its business to a carbon net zero model across its supply chain, products, and operations by 2039.

“We’re proud to be collaborating with Uncaged to explore responsible leather alternatives as we look forward to a sustainability-rich modern luxury vision for our future vehicles,” said Rossella Cardone, director and head of sustainability, JLR. 

“This is in-line with our strategy on the sustainability and provenance of the materials we use. We must embrace new material possibilities, new processes, and new technology and invest in sustainable material innovation.”

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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