Material Innovation Initiative

The Material Innovation Initiative is a nonprofit that accelerates the development of high performance sustainable materials for the fashion, automotive, and home goods industries. MII partners with brands, scientists, startups, and retailers to bring these critical innovations to market. Founded by experts in the plant- and cell-based foods industries, MII works to replicate the success of food technology in the materials industry and usher in a sustainable future.

Challenges

From your car seat to the clothes on your back, the materials we interact with every day have a profound impact on the environment. Animal-based materials are linked to climate change, chemical waste, and resource depletion, and many current animal-product replacements are made from petroleum and don’t meet consumers’ needs. Consumers and companies alike are searching for sustainable solutions that are functional, fashionable, and cost-effective, but today’s options are few and far between.

Solutions

Technological innovation and untapped natural materials have the potential to transform the materials industry and solve the enormous environmental challenges it faces. MII fast-tracks the introduction of sustainable materials to the marketplace by aligning all key players in the materials ecosystem and supporting innovation in materials science.

How We Do It

We fast-track innovation in three main ways:

1. We identify and assess innovative materials and technologies
2. We spur investments, research, and development to scale select innovations
3. We partner with brands, retailers, and suppliers to get sustainable materials to market