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Since 2019, MII has helped inspire more than $2.31 billion in investments into next-gen materials, advancing the next-gen revolution by connecting science and big ideas.

THE CHALLENGE IS VAST

A contributory to the River Buriganga in Hazaribagh, Bangladesh, is littered with rubbish and the remains of leather. Industrial leather processing in the area causes river pollution, sick workers, and cheap leather for world markets. Image credit: Christian Faesecke / We Animals Media.

THE MODERN MATERIALS INDUSTRY:

Our Case for Support

What if we could

Projects

200

projects

80

clients

2002

since

What if we could

Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

Strategy

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

Development

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

explore

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What if we could

Save the lives of trillions of animals

Strategy

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.

explore

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What if we could

Prevent mass deforestation

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

Development

Strategy

explore

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What if we could

Eliminate microplastic pollution

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

Development

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

explore

Karuso portfolio Webflow template

What if we could

Help end slave labor

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

Strategy

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.

explore

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Services

Next

1.Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Save the lives of trillions of animals

Prevent mass deforestation

Eliminate microplastic pollution

Help end slave labor

EMITS MORE CO2 THAN AVIATION AND MARITIME SHIPPING COMBINED
KILLS AND TORTURES BILLIONS OF FARMED ANIMALS EACH YEAR

- Image Credit: We Animals Media

IS A LEADING CAUSE OF GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY LOSS
IS THE #1 SOURCE OF MICROPLASTICS IN OUR WATERWAYS
Is the #2 source of forced labor
HARMS AND KILLS TRILLIONS OF WILD ANIMALS EACH YEAR

Our
work

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.
Strategy

Strategy

Strategy
We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.

We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.

We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.
We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies
We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.
Development

Development

Development

NEXT-GEN
MATERIALS ARE A
KEY SOLUTION
TO ALL OF THESE
PROBLEMS.

Image credit: Tory Burch

WHAT ARE NEXT-GEN MATERIALS?

WHY DO WE NEED NEXT-GEN MATERIALS?

WHAT ARE NEXT-GEN MATERIALS?

WHY DO WE NEED NEXT-GEN MATERIALS?

COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL SYNTHETIC AND ANIMAL-DERIVED MATERIALS, NEXT-GEN MATERIALS:

OFFER A >90% REDUCTION
IN GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
PRACTICES
Contain no animals, and significantly reduced or no microplastics or toxins.
RESTORE BIODIVERSITY
AND PROMOTE HUMANE
AGRICULTURAL
PRACTICES
ARE DEVELOPED BY
COMPANIES THAT PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS
AND SAFETY
Next-gen leather swatches from the USA-based material innovation company and B2C brand von Holzhausen, founded in 2015.
Image credit: von Holzhausen.

MII’S SOLUTION

No one else does what we do.

MII is the only organization that is accelerating the development of the entire next-gen materials industry.

THEORY OF CHANGE

MII was founded on the premise that a transition to next-gen materials is urgently needed but not inevitable. Our theory of change is that consumers do not buy materials because they come from petrochemicals or animals; they buy them based on their performance, aesthetic, price, and availability. If the market provides consumers with next-gen products that meet their needs, plus have the added benefits of being more sustainable and ethically produced, consumers will purchase these products.

Image credit: Mycowork

OUR WORK

MII helps scientists, investors, innovators, and brands fast-track next-gen material innovation:

Science & Technology

We produce scientific and technological assessments on notable next-gen materials and drive critical research on the most promising next-gen material innovations.

INNOVATORS

We support innovators by analyzing the state of the next-gen materials industry, mapping white spaces for new companies to form, connecting innovators to these opportunities, and sharing their fundraising information with investors.

BRAnds

We provide brands with industry and technology overviews, conduct consumer research, and connect them with next-gen material companies.

Investors

We provide investors with impartial guidance about next-gen material science, technologies, white spaces, and investment opportunities.

EXAMPLES OF NEXT-GEN MATERIALS

OUR IMPACT

MII is creating a more sustainable, humane, and beautiful world.

We elevate the missions of all stakeholders across the industry and operate at the center of the next-gen materials ecosystem as a knowledge partner, ideas generator, facilitator, and connector.


INVESTMENT IN NEXT-GEN MATERIALS

There has been over $2.31 billion
invested by more than 280 unique
investors in next-gen materials
since our founding in 2019.

NUMBER OF COMPANIES PER COUNTRY (2023)

Just as the materials, fashion, automotive, and home goods industries are global, so is the next-gen materials industry. The following graphic shows the global reach of MII’s network of innovators who have embraced next-gen materials.

CONSUMER AND BRAND ACCEPTANCE OF NEXT-GEN MATERIALS

92%

of U.S. consumers

surveyed reported that they
are likely to purchase next-gen materials.

99%

of Chinese consumers


surveyed reported that they
are likely to purchase next-gen materials.

95%

of brands MII has met are actively seeking to incorporate next-gen materials into their product lines

616

partnerships between fashion, automotive, and home goods brands and next-gen materials companies since 2020.

PROJECTED IMPACT OF NEXT-GEN MATERIALS BY 2040


Fashion, automotive, and home
goods companies will decrease the
use of animal-derived materials by
75% and petroleum-derived
synthetic materials by 25%.
The lives of more than 34 billion
farmed animals and trillions of wild
animals will be spared.

CASE STUDIES

HELPING NEXT-GEN STARTUP COMPANIES THRIVE
HARNESSING MARKETS AND TECH FOR GOOD

TESTIMONIALS

Moby
 Musician, activist, and MII supporter

"It seems like a very achievable activist goal to replace animal skin with next-gen materials. I'm so inspired by this goal".

Ezra Klein
  Opinion columnist NYTimes

"MII “is trying to build alternatives to animal-based materials used for fashion, cars and home goods. There has been much less innovation and investment here than in alternative proteins, and that suggests enormous opportunities if an ecosystem of financing and information-sharing and start-ups can be built.” NYTimes Opinion columnist Ezra Klein recommended MII as a high impact giving opportunity".

Corinna Chen
Partner, Material Impact

"MII has been a fantastic resource for information in the alternative materials market. They are well connected to new companies in the space, know the brands, and understand the market. As an investor, MII’s resources such as white papers, deal flow, and industry reports are a great catalyst for driving change in the industry". 

Joey Pringle
 Founder & Co-Owner at Veshin Factory

"MII played a huge part in facilitating our partnership with the next-gen material company Natural Fiber Welding. MII understands the essential role manufacturers like Veshin Factory play in expediting a shift into next-gen materials and helps manifest collaborations amongst material innovators, brands, and manufacturers".

David Meyer
 Co-founder and CEO, Humane America Animal Foundation

"I’m proud to support MII’s unique mission and vision for a better world. There are many products that drive the destructive animal-based food/product industry. Non-food products such as leather, feathers, etc. are often neglected by change advocates, but they are an important part of the overall industry profits.  As a small organization with an ambitious mission, MII’s emphasis on partnering with collaborators across industries enables it to tackle global crises".  

Dr. Helen Zha
MII Advisor, Chair of the Zha Biohybrid Materials Lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

"I believe that consumers should have a choice when purchasing products that align with their personal values of ethics and sustainability. We can leverage cutting-edge technologies and concepts to make this happen. The team at MII is doing amazing work, and I’m proud to be involved with such a dedicated group".

David Williamson
President & COO, Modern Meadow

"Modern Meadow is immensely grateful to the Material Innovation Initiative for their unwavering efforts to foster a sustainable future. They have provided invaluable opportunities for innovators and brands like us to engage in meaningful conversations about the adoption of new sustainable technologies. Together, we are showing the world that high quality, sustainable, next-gen bio-materials driving a positive impact are possible".

PJ Smith
The Humane Society - US

"Material industries that are hurting our planet most have long benefited from the lack of sustainable alternatives being available. Material Innovation Initiative is filling that void, ensuring that next-gen materials that are better in quality and better for animals, people and the environment, reach consumer demand faster than we could ever imagine".

David Lee
 KD New York

"MII has brought together a community of materials innovators that will drive the environmental impact of what we make, use, and wear for generations. I met some of the most consequential people for expanding my company through MII, including an international retailer that is releasing my vegetable cashmere in stores across the world. And that this MII community is led by some of the most forward-thinking and proactive women in the industry is purely inspiring".

SUPPORT US

As a start-up in a new and exciting space, support from donors profoundly influences our ability to achieve our mission.
‍
By donating to MII, you are helping to engender a restorative, humane economy for the materials we all use every day in our clothes, cars, and homes.

Thank you for your support!
SUPPORT US
SIGN UP FOR OUR
NEWSLETTER
CONTACT US
Contact our Founder and CEO, Nicole Rawling, at nicoler@materialinnovation.org

X

BioFluff

Martin Stübler, a former biotech engineer at MycoWorks, founded his next-gen fur company BioFluff with MII’s support. Martin was inspired to focus on creating humane fur alternatives after visiting fur tanneries in Europe. Upon his return, Martin contacted MII for guidance on alternatives to animal fur and was surprised to learn from us that only petrochemical-derived synthetic alternatives were available on the market. After multiple meetings with MII and research into opportunities outlined in our White Space Report, he was encouraged to found BioFluff, the first 100% plant-based, petrochemical-free, ethical, and sustainable alternative to animal and plastic fur. During the process of creating his company, Martin downloaded all of the reports on MII’s website, which he says are “fantastic” and have helped him in every stage of his company formation so far. He also shared that MII’s White Space Report helped him develop BioFluff’s pitch deck and shaped his vision for next-gen fur. In Martin’s words:

‍The value of MII’s role as a relationship facilitator in the next-gen materials industry cannot be overstated. The MII team played a vital role in getting us in touch with the right investors, which ultimately led to the close of our first pre-seed funding round, fueling us with the resources and momentum needed to create sustainable plant-based fur. We simply could not have crossed this milestone without them.

‍BioFluff is now a leading next-gen fur company, and it promotes ethical integrity and sustainability as its top value propositions. The raw materials it uses are widely available, more affordable than animal and plastic fur, and have, in the company’s words, “advantages for the agro-ecosystem…such as increased biodiversity and improved soil fertility.”Martin looks forward to making the world a more sustainable, humane place for decades to come and the MII team is thrilled to be part of his journey!

‍As BioFluff’s success demonstrates, the exploitation of animals and the environment to create high-quality fur is not necessary or inevitable.With advancements in material science and innovation like those made by BioFluff, we can create fibers that mimic the positive properties of animal-derived fur and eliminate their negative impacts, thereby creating a global market for sustainable, cruelty-free fur.

X

An Unstoppable Feedback Loop

We believe in the power of markets and technology to bring about deep and rapid change in the materials industry. The growth of non-dairy milks provides a great example. In the past, you had to go to a special section of the grocery store to pick up the lone, sometimes powdered non-dairy milk option, and those who did were almost exclusively vegan or lactose-intolerant. Today, non-dairy milk makes up 15% of the entire milk market, while sales of dairy milk are on a steady decline. This dramatic shift didn’t occur because more people began caring about the ethical or environmental consequences of dairy farming. It happened because non-dairy milks became more affordable, accessible, and delicious. Millions of non-vegan consumers enjoy almond, coconut, or oat milk on a regular basis simply because they prefer the flavor. This sort of change happens in a virtuous cycle:

As the market size for alternatives increased, it attracted more investments, more talent, and more competitors, which brought yet more innovation to drive costs down and improve quality, which attracted more consumers and sales, starting the process all over again in an unstoppable feedback loop. This is exactly what MII is working to catalyze in the materials industry.

And we have even more reason to be assured of our success than non-dairy milk proponents: Today, brands and consumers are both actively seeking out more sustainable, animal-free materials. We simply need to supply the demand with better options