According to a recent press release, the Basel-based cleantech startup KUORI is developing innovative materials from food waste, such as banana skins and nut shells. The first results of the developments are elastic, bio-based and biodegradable materials that can be used in the soles of shoes. Due to friction, the soles of our shoes constantly deposit microplastics when we walk. “We want to use our bio-based, biodegradable and elastic materials where they bring the greatest benefit for the environment”, comments Sarah Harbarth, founder and CEO of KUORI. “Unlike conventional plastics, which take hundreds of years to degrade in nature, our materials are industrially compostable”, she adds.

Founded in 2022, the company has closed 2.3 million euros in financing since being launched last March. This funding is to be used to facilitate the rapid market launch of the new materials in the first half of this year, in addition to being put towards the search for competent industrial partners and the expansion of the market chain.

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Investors include the Eurostars program of the European Union, the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse, the innovation fund of the Alternative Bank Switzerland and the Gebert Rüf Foundation, in addition to private investors. KUORI is also supported by Venture Monitoring from the investment and innovation promotion agency Basel Area Business & Innovation. In addition, the startup has made it into the Circular Economy Incubator 2022-2023 from the Circular Economy Transition. Alongside KUORI, other Basel-based startups such as GreenUp, Glacé Löööv, Food Factory and Happie will receive financial backing from this platform.