MycoWorks

MycoWorks is a California‑born biotech (2013) commercialising Fine Mycelium™, a patented solid‑state fermentation that guides fungal cells to form a dense, grain‑structured sheet rivaling top‑grain calfskin for tensile, tear and aesthetic properties. Waste sawdust and other lignocellulosic residues serve as growth substrate inside robotic growth chambers; harvest to finished hide takes two weeks and uses <1 % of the water required for bovine leather. A 136,000‑ft² first‑of‑kind plant in Union, South Carolina opened in 2023, giving MycoWorks 3 million sq ft yr capacity. Reishi™, its flagship material, debuted in Hermès’ Victoria bag and has since been sampled by automotive OEMs and furniture makers. The company’s roadmap includes coated grades for performance footwear and seating, plus un‑coated versions that can be tanned in existing chrome‑free lines.