Bolt Threads, a biotech company based in Emeryville, California, has teamed up with Mycelium Materials Europe (MME) to commercialize Mylo, a mycelium-based alternative to animal-derived leather.

Using the Dutch Shelf System, MME, based in Hedel, Netherlands, has successfully demonstrated the potential to produce mycelium materials on a large mechanical scale at a higher quality and with a more efficient harvest.

This supports Bolt Threads' goal of scaling Mylo production to millions of square meters at a cost and quality comparable to other bio-based leather replacement materials.

MME is the first company to apply the Dutch Shelf System in a converted mushroom farm, filling the shelves with substrates created on-site to develop big mats and boost efficiency when growing mycelium at scale.

MME has adapted the Dutch Shelf System, which is widely regarded as the superior grow system for white button mushrooms, to develop mycelium materials. In its converted mushroom farm in the Netherlands, the business implements its patent-pending method. This traditional mushroom farm has been transformed by MME into a well-controlled mechanical operation capable of producing mycelium material on a greater scale. The converted farm benefits present mushroom producers in the Netherlands not only in terms of cost and efficiency (since converting a suitable mushroom farm is significantly faster than developing one from the ground up), but also in terms of new pathways and opportunities.

Simon Hoenderop, co-founder and CFO at MME, said that their partnership with Bolt Threads is expediting the development of sustainable options to traditional materials. They’ve more than 30 years of experience in the mushroom industry and can use these approaches to cultivate mycelium materials in a similar manner.

Bert Rademakers, co-founder and CEO at MME, said that other mycelium material farms develop in little trays. Compare that to the Dutch Shelf System, which can accommodate trays up to 50 times longer. Alternative materials, such as Mylo, will undoubtedly be scaled.

Dan Widmaier, co-founder and CEO at Bolt Threads, said that getting Mylo into the hands of more customers is their top objective. One of the most impactful ways they can achieve this aim is through extremely efficient growth solutions with industry leaders like MME. They're really happy of the outcomes they've already accomplished with MME's cooperation, and they're looking forward to seeing it continue.