General Motors has recently unveiled its latest concept car, the SOLLEI convertible electric vehicle, featuring an innovative twist: the use of MycoWorks’ Fine Mycelium bio-based materials in its luxurious interior. This marks a significant step forward in sustainable automotive design, showcasing the potential of biomaterials in high-end applications.
The SOLLEI, a one-off concept car, integrates MycoWorks’ advanced biomaterials in various interior elements such as the charging mats on the console, door map pockets, and custom accessories. While this concept car will not provide an ongoing revenue stream for MycoWorks, it serves as a compelling demonstration of the possibilities for Fine Mycelium in future automotive designs. The collaboration between General Motors and MycoWorks has been ongoing for two years, focusing on developing alternatives to traditional animal leather for car interiors.
MycoWorks CEO Matt Scullin explained that the material used in the SOLLEI is distinct from the company’s flagship Reishi biomaterial, which has been utilized in luxury fashion and furniture applications by brands like Hermès and Ligne Roset. The automotive-grade material is grown, re-tanned, and finished in a unique manner, tailored specifically for the demands of the automotive industry. Although the specific properties of this material remain proprietary, its development highlights MycoWorks’ commitment to innovation and sustainability.
The unveiling of the SOLLEI also coincides with MycoWorks’ recent undisclosed investment from GM Ventures, General Motors’ venture arm, which was secured in August 2022. This financial backing underscores the automotive giant’s interest in sustainable materials and its confidence in MycoWorks’ technology.
MycoWorks is currently producing its Fine Mycelium materials at a new plant in Union, South Carolina. Although Scullin did not disclose production volumes, he emphasized the strong interest from the interiors industry. Designers and creatives are particularly drawn to Fine Mycelium’s ability to offer unprecedented control over natural materials. This control extends not only to the supply of biomaterials, thanks to MycoWorks’ scalable tray-based technology, but also to the customizability of the raw material, allowing for numerous design interventions during the growth and finishing process.
This level of customization is a key advantage for MycoWorks, enabling the company to cater to a variety of industries, including fashion, furniture, footwear, and automotive design. The ability to engineer the material’s properties for different applications sets MycoWorks apart from other companies in the biomaterials space. Scullin highlighted that MycoWorks’ artistic heritage has allowed the company to develop Fine Mycelium materials known for their natural handfeel and haptics, offering a more authentic alternative to synthetic options.
Scaling up production remains a challenge in the biomaterials industry, but MycoWorks has made significant strides by incorporating automation into its tray-based process. This innovation has enabled the company to scale its production effectively, a first in the biomaterials sector. The Fine Mycelium material can be customized for thickness, weight, and mechanical properties, providing an unprecedented level of control over a natural material.
Founded in 2013 by Philip Ross, Sophia Wang, and Eddie Pavlu, MycoWorks has raised substantial funding over the years, including $17 million in a series A in early 2020, $45 million in a series B in late 2020, and $125 million in a series C in early 2022. The company’s proprietary Fine Mycelium process is protected by over 80 patents, ensuring its unique, reusable, easily replicable, and scalable nature.
The process begins with a blend of natural ingredients like recycled sawdust, limestone, and wheat bran, which serve as the substrate for the mycelium growth. MycoWorks’ exclusive strain of mycelium is added to this mixture inside a tray, initiating the growth process. Over several weeks, the mycelium grows into a sheet, which is then harvested and further treated at tanneries. The substrate brick is recycled, making the process sustainable.
As MycoWorks continues to innovate and scale its production, the collaboration with General Motors on the SOLLEI concept car highlights the exciting potential of Fine Mycelium materials in the automotive industry and beyond.