BioFluff Secures $2.5M in Seed Funding for Plant-Based Fur Alternatives – vegconomist
BioFluff, a biomaterials startup describing itself as the first fully plant-based fur alternative, has successfully closed its seed funding round, securing $2.5 million from leading venture capital firms, spearheaded by agrifood tech investor Astanor Ventures.
Astanor Ventures has invested in over 45 agrifood companies globally, including plant-based businesses MicroHarvest, Wicked Kitchen, and Umiami. This funding marks a significant milestone for BioFluff, following a pre-seed round of $0.5 million in 2022, led by SOSV, PDS Limited & Joyance Partners.
“This investment will accelerate our mission to provide brands with better materials for a cleaner future”
“We were impressed by the passion and determination of the founding team. Biofluff has a unique offering for the luxury industry, fashion, and textiles, which is in full alignment with the Astanor mission of a more regenerative economy,” stated Christina Ulardic, a partner at Astanor Ventures.
BioFluff, founded in 2022 by biochemist Martin Steubler, textile executive Steven Usdan, and fashion-tech entrepreneur Roni Gamzon, develops plant-based alternatives to materials and fabrics that are traditionally derived from animals or plastic. The company has been focusing on developing animal-free fur alternatives made with organic and renewable plant fibers that mimic the look and feel of animal fur, without the ethical and environmental drawbacks with the goal to replace animal and synthetic fur in the luxury fashion market.
BioFluff’s luxury material brand
Alongside the funding announcement, BioFluff also unveiled its first luxury material brand, Savian. The brand’s collection will feature fur, shearling, and fleece-like fabrics crafted from plant fibers using BioFluff’s proprietary technologies. The vegan collection has a GMO-free status and incorporates natural and mineral-based dyes, with the aim of establishing a new standard of sustainability in the luxury apparel sector.
The CEO of BioFluff, Martin Steubler, expressed the company’s commitment to scaling its unique approach, stating, “At the close of this seed round with best-in-class impact investors, we are poised to scale our unique approach to reducing reliance on animal and synthetic-derived products in the textile industry. This investment will accelerate our mission to provide brands with better materials for a cleaner future.”
