ULUU desires to unravel the plastic disaster with seaweed • TechCrunch

ULUU believes the answer to the plastic disaster lies on the planet’s oceans. The Australian startup makes use of seaweed to create a plastic different and is planning to launch its first merchandise within the subsequent 12 to 24 months.

At the moment ULUU introduced it has raised $8 million AUD (about $5.3 million USD) led by Predominant Sequence (the deep-tech fund launched by Australia’s nationwide science company) with participation from Albert Impression Ventures, Mistletoe and Attainable Ventures. Different buyers by means of Predominant Sequence’s social influence group Voice Capital included Melvin Benn, the managing director of Pageant Republi, Nathan McLay, Australian unbiased music firm Future Traditional, restauranteur Neil Perry AM, mannequin and philanthropist Karlie Kloss and Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker.

ULUU’s compostable polymer, referred to as polhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), is made by means of a fermentation course of that’s just like brewing beer, and allows the corporate to maintain its manufacturing course of clear. It’s made out of seaweed sugars, sea water and salt water microbes and has a sturdiness just like plastic, however is biodegradable and compostable.

Dr. Julia Reisser, who based ULUU together with Michael Kingsbury, informed TechCrunch that she has an extended historical past with plastics. Throughout her PhD research, she mapped microplastic air pollution inside Australian waters and obtained the thought for ULUU in 2019 whereas working at Australian businessman Andrew Forrest’s philanthropic group Minderoo Basis, analyzing how startups are coping with plastic air pollution.

Dr. Reisser researched how startups are created with out fossil fuels, however discovered that alternate options derived from sugar cane or corn (which PHAs may also be created from) have environmental challenges.

Kingsbury additionally labored at Minderoo, the place he was launched to Dr. Reisser whereas she was on the lookout for somebody with a business background to assist develop ULUU. The startup was launched in 2020 and raised $1.8 million the subsequent 12 months.

The newest funding will likely be used on product growth and engineering R&D to scale the manufacturing of PHAs. ULUU at present plans to get its pilot plant facility operational within the subsequent 12 months, and begin to scale and check merchandise. It may be utilized in many industries, together with vogue, furnishings and packaging.

ULUU plans to cement partnerships with main shopper manufacturers, and it’ll decide one or two to work on a pilot challenge. ULUU will work towards establishing business relationships within the vogue sector, with the objective of serving to manufacturers develop merchandise which are made with ULUU and are each carbon detrimental and marine biodegradable. Its funding from trade figures like Kloss and Parker will assist them make necessary connections within the vogue and sweetness trade, Kingsbury mentioned.

“We’re exploring potential alternatives in sustainable vogue, altering the area one step at a time,” mentioned Kingsbury. “It’s not cool to have solely the most effective design and reduce on the subject of the garments we put on—persons are beginning to care concerning the supplies behind them.”

Although 60% of fibers utilized in garments are artificial, derived from fossil fuels and trigger microplastic air pollution, Kingsbury famous that many manufacturers are beginning to take a look at extra environmentally-friendly alternate options. These embody Patagonia, which plans to make use of solely renewable or recycled supplies of their merchandise by 2025.