BMW Invests in Vegan Leather Aiming to Lower Carbon Emissions
BMW just announced that the luxury car company is supporting vegan leather for the future of the auto industry. The venture capital of the BMW Group, BWM i Ventures, recently invested in the sustainable material company Natural Fiber Welding. The environmentally-friendly brand develops plastic-free materials for foam and textiles, including completely biodegradable vegan leather. The company’s plant-based leather, MIRIUM, consists of byproducts from other industries, lowering waste across multiple markets.
“Natural Fiber Welding has developed an innovative process of converting plants into all-natural, 100 percent recyclable material that mimics all the properties of traditional leather, yarns, and foams,” Managing Partner at BMW i Ventures Kasper Sage said. “Having a scalable, cost-competitive alternative to leather with premium qualities is key to further advancing the decarbonization of the automotive industry.”