Revolutionizing Polyurethane: How Matereal is Pioneering a Safer, Greener Future
Polyurethane (PU) is everywhere. You sit on it (furniture, mattresses, auto interiors), wear it (apparel, footwear), travel with it (luggage), and have fun on it (surfboards, skateboards). Thanks to its durability, flexibility, and resilience, PU is widely used as an important protective coating and foam in many products we come into contact with on a daily basis. But there is a big problem with PU — making it is very toxic, both for the environment and human health. The traditional PU manufacturing process relies on isocyanates, toxic petroleum-derived chemicals that are classified as VOCs and are the leading cause of workplace respiratory problems. Due to these big challenges, the chemicals industry is urgently looking for better solutions.
Enter Matereal, a trailblazing materials science startup we recently backed whose mission is to decarbonize and detoxify the chemicals industry, starting with a sustainable and non-toxic version of PU. Polaris, the company’s first product, is a non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) coating designed for use in fashion bags and outdoor gear. Polaris represents a breakthrough in materials science, utilizing a green chemistry pathway that eliminates the need for toxic isocyanates. Instead, it relies upon cyclic carbonates and amines derived from bio-based feedstocks, such as linseed oil, which not only avoids the harmful effects of isocyanates but also incorporates captured CO2. Polaris is expected to reach cost parity with PU at scale and can be integrated directly into existing manufacturing processes without the need for specialized equipment. This makes it an attractive option for textile mills and industrial PU players looking for sustainable alternatives. Polaris is built upon proprietary technology developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and exclusively licensed by the company.
Leading Matereal is CEO Jackie Ros Amable, a second-time founder with a big vision for building a sustainable chemicals industry and an uncanny ability to attract top talent. Joining her is Dr. Philip Pienkos, the co-inventor of Polaris technology at NREL, whose deep technical expertise ensures that Matereal stays at the cutting edge of materials innovation. Alongside Jackie and Philip are Ben Galphin, a materials expert from Patagonia; Jordan Harris, a seasoned chemical engineer; and Blake Yeager, a technologist building an AI-enabled formula discovery platform. This diverse and highly skilled team embodies Matereal’s mission to push the boundaries of green chemistry and sustainable manufacturing. Their collective expertise and commitment to sustainability provide Matereal with a solid foundation for success.
Matereal isn’t just a one-trick pony. The company has grander ambitions to become an AI-powered platform for discovering and optimizing new sustainable polymer formulations across the plastics industry. Their proprietary machine learning models can explore vast chemical spaces, rapidly screening millions of potential candidates before synthesizing and testing the most promising ones with their automated lab. It’s the kind of computational firepower that could fundamentally accelerate the material sciences and open up whole new frontiers of high-performance, environmentally-friendly materials to drive innovation in everything from clothing to vehicles to wind turbines.
The market for PU is large, growing, and evolving towards more sustainable solutions. PU is a $78B market and is expected to grow to $105B by 2030. Environmental and health regulations are pushing the industry towards more sustainable solutions that don’t compromise on performance. Matereal is well positioned to capitalize on this trend and they’re already in advanced conversations with a number of large players in the industry. As the company continues to develop and refine their AI-powered green chemistry platform, their potential to revolutionize the broader $600 billion global plastics market becomes increasingly exciting. The use of AI to enhance formulation discovery not only accelerates innovation but also broadens the scope of potential applications for Matereal’s technologies.
Matereal’s mission to decarbonize and detoxify the chemicals industry aligns perfectly with our investment philosophy of backing founders on a mission to build a better world. Jackie, Philip, and the entire Matereal team exemplify the kind of leadership and ingenuity that drives meaningful change in the world. We believe Matereal is well positioned to lead the way in revolutionizing the world of sustainable materials, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them on this journey, alongside Collab Fund.
