Australia’s first 100% plant-based leather alternative.

Melbourne-based startup Alt. Leather (Alt.) is revolutionising sustainable fashion with their groundbreaking 100% plant-based leather alternative.

Spearheaded by visionary Tina Funder, Alt. Leather is poised to transform Australia’s leather industry by introducing the nation’s first fully plant-derived alternative.

With a steadfast mission to combat the environmental impact of traditional leather and synthetic alternatives, Alt. is leading the charge toward a greener future in fashion, footwear, furniture, and beyond.

Now they are raising funds to help bring even more vegan leather to the market!

Here is what Alt Leather had to say about the raise

Alt. Leather is raising $1.1 million to make Australia’s first 100% plant-based leather alternative.

Melbourne-based startup Alt. Leather (Alt.) has secured $1.1 million in funding from Startmate, The Austin Group, Robyn Denholm’s family office Wollemi Capital Group, and LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund along with strategic angel investors.

Founded in 2022 by solo female founder Tina Funder, Alt. has created a world-class, patentable leather alternative made entirely from plants. The material is a green solution that will replace carbon-intensive animal and petroleum-based synthetic leathers.

With major brands like Tesla, Apple and Stella McCartney announcing bans on the use of animal leather due to environmental impact and the world transitioning away from fossil-fuel-derived synthetics, there is increasing global demand for circular leather alternatives across multiple verticals including fashion, footwear, furniture, automotive interiors and more.

Funder identified a gap in the market after launching a vegan handbag label in 2022.

“I tested many of the biobased alternatives on the market and couldn’t find a suitable material that was petrochemical-free. Given the current climate, it felt like a significant commercial opportunity with the benefit of a positive environmental outcome.”

The research team at Alt. grew from one to four during 2023 and made impressive progress, achieving a base material that looks and feels like leather.

“By adopting green chemistry innovation, we have developed patentable material composition and technology to produce a leather alternative that is both durable and commercially scalable. Our material uses a combination of waste streams and regenerative plant derivatives available in abundance globally, making Alt. Leather a reliable and sustainable choice.” Dr. Tuan Nguyen, Chief Scientific Officer of Alt. Leather.

The team envisages Alt. Leather becoming the default choice to traditional leather, eliminating the need for petroleum-based synthetic leathers.

There is significant momentum working in their favour with the fashion and textiles industry scrambling to reduce emissions, the COP28 agreement highlighting the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcing in December 2023 a review that could lead to the end of PVC plastic production citing environmental and toxic carcinogenic exposure during production as key reasons for the potential ban.