Turning Brewery Waste into Eco-Leather : Brett Cotten Arda Biomaterials скачать в хорошем качестве

Turning Brewery Waste into Eco-Leather : Brett Cotten Arda Biomaterials

In this episode of "Gaule’s Question Time," Andrew Gaule (linkedin.com/in/andrew-gaule-aimava) discusses with Brett Cotten (  / brett-a-cotten  , co-founder and CEO of Arda Biomaterials (https://arda.bio), to explore a revolutionary approach to sustainable manufacturing. Arda transforms brewery waste—specifically spent grain—into high-performance, leather-like materials without relying on plastics or animal products. Brett, who began his journey in biochemistry and entrepreneurship at Penn State and later Cambridge, shares how his career evolved from biotech food startups to founding Arda with co-founder TJ, an Oxford-trained chemist. See more information below. You join an AI Academy program see Aimava Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/aimava... To book a meeting to discuss entrepreneurship, AI and other business change with Andrew - https://calendly.com/andrew-gaule/30min? You can listen to this interview as a podcast on Gaule's Question Time on Apple, Spotify, Google and many other podcast channels. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/ga... Subscribe for future interviews. See this and other video content at Aimava Purpose to Performance Channel -    / @p2pfromaimava   Arda Biomaterials has built a team blending scientific expertise and design thinking, enabling Arda to develop scalable, environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional leather. Throughout the discussion, Brett explains the chemistry behind Arda’s materials, their performance benchmarks, and the deep supply chain innovation that sets them apart. He also highlights their community-oriented investor base and partnerships with luxury brands and local designers. Listeners will gain insight into how Arda is tackling sustainability with a local-first, high-tech, circular economy mindset—proving that even a pint of beer can start a revolution in material science. Using the 5Ps Strategic Framework from Andrew Gaule's book Purpose to Performance they discussed Arda 🧭 1. Purpose Arda Biomaterials was founded with the mission to eliminate the reliance on petrochemical and animal-derived materials in industries like fashion and automotive. Their goal is to create high-performing, sustainable alternatives using industrial waste—specifically brewery by-products. Brett Cotten and co-founder TJ are driven by a desire to reduce environmental harm and promote ethical material sourcing, aiming to return to more natural, local, and circular systems of production. ⚗️ 2. Process Arda takes spent grain from breweries—a protein-rich, fibrous waste stream—and processes it using existing equipment from the brewing and plastics industries. This extraction of plant protein allows them to mimic animal-based materials like collagen, the foundation of leather. The process is efficient and fast, turning brewery waste into leather-like material in under a day. Their approach is scalable, uses local supply chains, and avoids harmful chemicals like chromium and plastics. 👥 3. People The team started with just Brett and TJ, who met through the Entrepreneur First accelerator. TJ is an Oxford-trained chemist with a love for leather, while Brett brings biotech and startup experience. The company has since grown to a team of 10, including designers, scientists, and engineers—all aligned around Arda’s mission. Their success in attracting and retaining talent has been a cornerstone of their progress, blending cultural fit with technical excellence. 🤝 4. Partners Arda has built strong relationships with both investors and industry collaborators. Their funding has come from Clean Growth Fund, Sadhana, Plug and Play, CPT Capital, and Serpentine, reflecting a community-based investment strategy. On the industry side, they collaborate with global luxury brands and independent designers alike, ensuring that product development is constantly refined through real-world feedback. This dual network of capital and creative partners supports Arda’s innovation and scalability. 📈 5. Performance Arda’s materials currently meet low- to mid-range performance requirements for animal leather, making them ideal for small goods like wallets and bags. Their sustainability metrics are impressive—97% lower CO₂ emissions than animal leather and 82% lower than plastic alternatives. The production process is energy-efficient, water-recyclable, and based on widely available inputs. As they continue to improve durability and water resistance, they are working toward more demanding applications like footwear and automotive interiors.