Ecovative teams with ECCO Leather on next generation of mycelium materials

In New York state, Ecovative, the leading mycelium technology company, and ECCO Leather, a part of the Danish footwear brand ECCO and a world leader in innovative and premium leathers, have announced an ongoing partnership to develop and commercialize the next generation of mycelium materials for a range of new products.

The first-of-its-kind partnership, between a traditional leather tannery and a mycelium technology company, leverages Ecovative’s strengths as a global leader in developing sustainable materials with mycelium — the fibrous ‘root structure’ of mushrooms — and ECCO Leather’s expertise in the development and production of leather for a wide range of consumer products. Earlier this year, Ecovative and ECCO Leather began trading materials and methods to test mycelium materials against the high performance standards for commercial leather products and tanning processes. That collaboration is being expanded and extended to bring new products to market. A long-term off-take agreement expects to see Ecovative supplying ECCO Leather with the custom-tuned mycelium materials developed through this process, which ECCO Leather will transform into novel materials for both its own brand and to supply its material partner network.

This agreement opens the door to collaboration on the full scope of material development and commercialization possibilities. From research through testing and prototyping to products on store shelves, both companies will apply their unique expertise and production technologies — such as AirMycelium™ at Ecovative, which produces 100% pure mycelium hides to specification, and ECCO Leather’s innovative tannery processes that require less time, chemicals, and water than traditional textile finishing methods.