Circularity and sustainability are at the heart of the ethos behind Italian biomaterials innovator SQIM. Using only mycelium and fermentation the company creates low environmental impact, high value products for the interior design, fashion and automotive manufacturing sectors.
Using a proprietary process developed in-house, the company creates fashionable and high quality interior surface panels for the home as well as a leather-like material used for upholstering high end vehicles. But unlike traditional leather-making, the mycelium based biodegradable product is animal-free and does not release toxic heavy metals into the environment. CEO and Co-Founder Stefano Babbini studied environmental engineering at the University of Florence, after which he was involved in researching renewables and biofuels.
As a connector and innovator across academia, Babbini participated in the 2023 French-Italian Dialogues for Europe event, jointly promoted by the Luiss Guido Carli University and the French Sciences Po University with patronage from President Macron. SQIM headline product Ephea – Aura was recently featured at the Première Vision fashion and design showcase in Paris. The company also presented at the Biofrontiers Symposium on fungal based materials in architecture held at ETH Zurich, widely regarded as the leading European academic institution for science commercialisation.
Formerly known as Mogu Bio, earlier this year SQIM successfully raised €11 million in funding towards a new production facility and further scaling of the operation. The Series A round included participation by Kering Ventures, the investment arm of Kering group which owns well known luxury brands such as Gucci, YSL and leather goods maker Bottega Veneta.
Image credit: Rob Hille via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Genius ReFi brings together Researchers, Entrepreneurs, Investors and Industry for creative collaborations in the commercialization of scalable Regenerative Science.
