Uncaged Innovations, a startup specializing in sustainable materials, is bringing plant-based leather alternatives to the automotive industry. The company says its material, derived mostly from grains like wheat, soy, and corn, can replicate the look, feel, and even scent of animal leather, at a fraction of the environmental cost.
Co-founder and CEO Stephanie Downs told TechCrunch that the material is highly customizable, mimicking different types of leathers by altering thickness, textures, and finishes. “Leather is not just leather,” Downs said. “There’s literally a thousand types of leather… we had to develop something that could be really easily customizable.”
Uncaged is now working with Hyundai’s Cradle division to refine the product for use in vehicles, following a recent partnership with Jaguar Land Rover. The startup claims its leather alternative has a carbon footprint 95% lower than traditional leather. Beyond fashion products like handbags and watch straps, automotive interiors are seen as a major market: each car interior can require multiple hides, often with waste due to natural scars and blemishes.
Because Uncaged’s product is factory-made, it delivers consistency in ways animal hides cannot. It’s also cost-competitive, priced at under $10 per square foot for small orders, with large-scale orders potentially cutting costs by half. “There’s not only a savings for the environment, but also a savings for the bottom line,” Downs said.
Performance testing remains ongoing. One automaker, Downs noted, requires the material to withstand 95°C for 500 hours. Early tests have already reached 85°C under those conditions. The company has also engineered its product to mimic leather’s fibrous structure by transforming plant proteins into collagen-like fibrils.
The material is biodegradable, with a plant-fiber base and plant-protein surface, and can be finished with a thin bio-based polyurethane layer for added durability and varied textures. It can also be customized with mineral pigments and even scents, from floral notes to signature fragrances for automakers and fashion brands.
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With automakers under pressure to reduce carbon emissions and cut costs, Uncaged hopes its blend of sustainability, performance, and customization will make its plant-based leather an attractive alternative to the real thing.
