The Entrepreneur

The Future Is…Fungi?

At MycoWorks’ “Freedom of Creation” exhibit, co-founder and chief of culture Sophia Wang discusses how artistic beginnings launched a biotech company that’s churning out fungi-fueled materials fit for “a prince’s yacht” — and driving sustainability and diversity in the corporate world.

MycoWorks’ interactive “Freedom of Creation” exhibit tells the story of the biotech company behind Fine Mycelium, a natural, made-to-order material made from the root structure of reishi mushrooms. The company counts celebrities Natalie Portman and John Legend among its investors, and its mycelium material has already been adopted by major fashion houses such as Hermès. In fact, MycoWorks has outgrown its Emeryville, California pilot plant, which processes thousands of the mushroom-derived sheets per year; its new Columbia, South Carolina facility will process several million.

“You can see the gold-like shimmer,” Wang says of one folded gold-mesh sample. “We joke about this one being the next-level luxury material. Not only do you want Fine Mycelium, but you also want Fine Mycelium with gold in it. This is like for some prince’s yacht or something,” she laughs.

Read the full article by Amanda Breen on The Entrepreneur.