A reinvention of luxury
This Victorian startup has eco-conscious consumers and companies from across the globe in its sights.
Alt. Leather says it is ready to bring its sustainable, plant-based creation to the world stage.
The Melbourne startup, which makes a bio-based leather alternative from agricultural waste and regenerative plant fibre, is Australia’s first in the zero petroleum-plastic space.
For the past two years its founder Tina Funder and her team of material scientists, led by Dr Tuan Nguyen, have been innovating with agricultural biomass and regenerative plant-based materials at the molecular level.
The result, they say, is a product that mimics the look, feel, and performance of leather minus the hefty environmental impact and they’re now looking to commercialise their innovation.
In an action-packed 2024, Alt. Leather closed an oversubscribed seed funding round of $1.1 million led by family investment firm Wollemi Capital Group, enabling the company to expand the R&D team and move into a lab at Monash University.
The startup also received a strategic investment from CSIRO-backed deep tech investor Main Sequence last year and took part in two CSIRO accelerator programs – Kick-Start and RISE.
The Kick-Start connected Alt. Leather with CSIRO’s Food Innovation Centre team in Werribee in Melbourne's West providing an opportunity to test its material on small-scale machines.
The RISE accelerator then enabled it to produce handbags and footwear in India with manufacturers in Noida and Chennai, the startup said, helping to refine its processes in a high-volume setting.
"We've learned how to navigate international supply chains and manufacturing landscapes, positioning us well for global expansion."
Alt. Leather is spruiking its leather alternative as a way for industries to reduce their environmental footprint while meeting the growing demand for high-performance, circular materials.
Funder says her background in advertising helped her identify a gap in the market for alternatives to animal and synthetic leathers two years ago, where she spotted an opportunity to tap into leading research facilities to change the leather industry using Australian regenerative plants.
Funder initially launched a vegan handbag brand, Life on Mars Australia, using materials such as cactus and apple fibre, then took the plunge to become Australia’s first 100% bio-based leather alternative.
According to Funder, the Kick-Start trials were crucial in determining the best processing methods for its materials.
"The structured approach of Kick-Start allowed us to test our material in a real-world setting and confirm that it could be scaled up," she said.
Once confident they were on the right path, the RISE program then provided valuable first-hand experience in high-volume production environments.
"The real-world production runs in India provided valuable insights into the operational challenges of mass manufacturing," Funder said. "We've learned how to navigate international supply chains and manufacturing landscapes, positioning us well for global expansion."
The conventional synthetic leather industry has relied on petroleum and non-sustainable resources for too long, according to Alt. Leather, which is predicting a boom in demand for low impact biomaterials.
The ethical edge
Consumers are increasingly seeking novelty, ethical craftsmanship and verifiable sustainability in the luxury space, making next-gen materials a strategic investment for brands looking to build trust and long-term loyalty, according to the startup.
"At Alt. Leather, we think this represents an ideal opportunity for brands to implement novel and sustainable materials like our 100% bio-based leather.”
Others on a similar path include US biotech company MycoWorks which is using mycelium to create a luxury leather-like biomaterial called Reishi that is animal- and plastic-free.
Mirum is another cruelty-free leather offering from US biomaterials company NFW that is crafted with plant-based resin and layered on an organic cotton or regenerative cotton backing.
Like Alt. Leather, these companies are targeting fashion, footwear, upholstery and automotive companies seeking high-performance, sustainable and circular solutions.
Alt. Leather says it has so far connected with more than 70 brands in both Australia and internationally, and received approaches by tier-one, global automotive manufacturers and major European and US-based brands.
While some bio-based leather products still contain petroleum-based plastics, Alt. Leather’s material is a 100% bio-based, so entirely free from petroleum plastics and animal products. By developing plant-based biopolymers, Alt. Leather says its premium leather alternative matches the look, feel, and performance of traditional leather without the greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming or petrochemical processing. Made from agricultural waste and regenerative plant fibres, the material mimics the 3D network structure of animal leather, delivering a similar texture that also meets most ISO global leather standards for accessories and footwear. The process also requires a fraction of the water typically used in leather production and the dyes that give it its black colour are plant-based, microbial, mineral dyes.
