In Brooklyn, a startup developing leather-like materials from mushroom and seafood shell waste has raised $4.15 million in a seed funding round led by founder Uyen Tran. Investors also include Happiness Capital, SOSV, Parley for the Oceans, and MIH Capital.
TômTex will use the money to add staff, boost manufacturing at its Brooklyn facility, and secure new contracts. To date, Alexander Wang, Ralph Lauren, Peter Do, Dauphinette, Di Petsa, and Maitrepierre have all featured TômTex’s material.
TômTex uses chitosan, a naturally occurring biopolymer, and other biobased materials to create textiles. It recently achieved continuous production, managing 100 linear feet in one run.
“Investing in TômTex means investing in a scalable platform that has the potential to revolutionize industries while making a positive impact on our environment,” said General partner at Happiness Capital Eric Ng.