Jen Keene’s claim to fame is that she uses bacteria to grow shoes and employs microorganisms to deposit nanocellulose material into sneaker shapes. But she’s like that.
“I feel like that kind of thing is missing the point,” she told TechCrunch. “The fibers produced by bacteria – that’s not new.”
That’s not that her new startup doesn’t use those same fibers – that’s true – but it requires a different tack.
Her startup, Modern Synthesis, still uses bacteria to grow nanocellulose fibers, but then harvests and processes them to create a variety of materials. The new approach is like weaving cotton into denim for jeans. Meanwhile, her sneaker experiments were like persuading a cotton plant to deposit fiber into the shape of her pants. It’s cool, but not easily scalable.
Modern synthetic ‘fibers can be manipulated in ways that simple plant fibers cannot. According to Keane, CEO of Modern Synthesis, it could be spread over a thin, wind-resistant film or textured to mimic high-quality leather. In this way, they resemble synthetic materials such as polyester and polyurethane.
But the difference is that modern synthetic nanocellulose materials are ultimately biodegradable.
“Your materials want to last for a lifetime or two, like 100 years. You don’t want them to stick for thousands, that’s what most synthetic materials do That’s it,” Keene said.
The basic building blocks of startup textiles are cellulose, so what remains after decomposition is similar to those found on the forest floor. “It should work just like any other cellulosic material,” she said. “Cotton is a great example of this.”
One breakthrough that encouraged Keane to discover the latest integration with the company’s chief technology officer, Ben Reeve, was its ability to create materials using only nanocellulose. For example, other biomaterials can mimic leather, but she said that some synthetic materials may need to be added to the mix and pulled it apart.
The latest synthesis buys nanocellulose from existing producers. It already produces large quantities for a variety of applications, from food additives to medical implants. The startup then processes the nanocellulose to create different materials. For example, in 2023, we made artificial leather from Danish fashion brand Ganni. Ganni used it to make handbags containing petrochemicals.
Keane said the company is working on Quintuple Production at its pilot factory. Modern Synthesis recently shut down its $5.5 million funding round, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. The round was led by Ertantia Capital with participation from the Artesian and Collaborative Fund.
Sneakers, clothing and handbags are likely applications for modern synthetic materials, but Keane is a sci-fi version of embedded electronics and more comfortable textiles like car dashboards. We are also considering using it.
“Cellulosic materials do not dissolve like synthetics,” she said. “When you think about the dashboard of a car, how do you start to melt if you sit in the sun for a long time? Our materials don’t do that.”
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