Mycelium Materials

Fungi are the result of millions of years of refinement by the endless creativity of evolution. By studying the growth of mycelium, scientists at Forager draw out the most useful traits such as tensile strength, water proofing, fire resistance, pliability and texture. As a material, mycelium is incredibly resilient, with many other valuable qualities. Based on a brand or partner’s needs, Forager can match or exceed technical and performance markers for specific applications in the apparel, fashion, and automotive industries. What emerges is a material designed by humans, fashioned by nature.

Mycelium hides and foams offer many advantages over the traditional leather and plastic materials common to the fashion, apparel, and automotive industries. Vivid colors and durable, supple textures are possible without the need for caustic chemicals or wasteful scraps. Finishing can be achieved with heat, pressure, and bio-based chemicals rather than petroleum-derived coatings, with a wider variety of available options than traditional leather, minus the variability and blemishes that impact prices. The foams rival any plastic-based alternative in performance, and are unmatched in their circularity — mycelium, when thrown away at the end of a product’s life, returns to the Earth as a nutrient rather than a pollutant.

Forager grows premium, pure mycelium materials in large format sheets. With our AirMycelium technology, we can produce 3 million square feet of material every year on one acre of land. In nature, mycelium grows underground, through logs, leaves, and other organic debris. Under the controlled conditions of our vertical farms, they grow in a blend of agricultural byproducts called substrate, essentially feedstock for fungi. Usually. mushrooms grow above their substrate, but the AirMycelium process guides pure mycelium itself to rise into dense tissues that mimic flesh, technical foams, or other complex structures for a wide range of applications.