21-YO student turns tomato waste into eco-friendly leather, wins PETA Vegan Fashion Award for Best Innovation in Textiles

When Pritesh Mistry was in his final year of Biotech engineering, a project on leather tanning made him realise the detrimental effects it has on the environment.

At 21, Pritesh conceived the idea of creating a plant-based alternative to animal leather. With this idea, he started Bioleather in 2019.

In an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia, the engineer-turned-entrepreneur shared his journey with producing a biodegradable, sustainable alternative to animal-based leather. 

“At Bioleather, you’ll get plant-based or microbial leather products instead of the animal ones,” the founder shared proudly.

Headquartered in Mumbai, the startup Bioleather makes leather from natural materials, often plant-based, like tomatoes, apples, or other organic waste. It provides a cruelty-free and environmentally friendly option for people looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Animal agriculture uses a huge amount of the world's natural resources.

“In 2019, we launched our first product, the Original Bioleather,” Pritesh told Startup Pedia. “The leather is strong, durable, comfortable, and made using but a small fraction of the land, water, and energy required to make leather from animals.”

The products have the look and feel of traditional leather but without the harmful impact on the planet.

“India, being the second-largest producer of tomatoes with about 44 million tons produced annually, faces the challenge of 30-35% of it going to waste,” Pritesh said, explaining why he chose the fruit. 

What is Tomato leather?

Tomatoes that are not commercially sellable are used to produce the leather material. The tomatoes are dried, powdered, mixed with a bio polymer that acts as a binder, coated on top of a cotton canvas for the texture, and finally converted into leather.

“Waste tomatoes that are not commercially sellable are used, but not the rotten ones!” the Bioleather founder revealed to Startup Pedia. “These are those tomatoes which could not be sold because they are not ripe enough, sweet enough, or weirdly shaped.”

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What is Microbial leather?

Microbial leather is a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather, grown using bacteria such as Acetobacter xylinum. These microbes produce cellulose during fermentation, which is harvested, treated, and made into a leather-like material.

Unlike animal leather, microbial leather is grown without the need for livestock, tanning, or harsh chemicals. It’s biodegradable and cruelty-free, if compared to traditional leather production.

Microbial leather is lightweight, breathable, low-waste and highly customizable.

The production process varies, but microbial leather can typically be grown and processed in a few weeks, much faster than raising and processing livestock for traditional leather.

Microbial leather can be engineered for strength and flexibility, making it suitable for a range of applications, including fashion, accessories, and upholstery. Ongoing research is enhancing its durability and scalability.

The leather can be customised by infusing with natural dyes during the production process, and its structure allows for a wide range of textures to suit different design needs.

Also read: Ananya Birla’s latest venture aims to disrupt India's beauty sector by bridging gap between premium quality and accessible luxury (startuppedia.in)

Work model

Bioleather has two working models: B2B and B2C.

In the B2C model, customers can order their goods as and when required through the website.

In the B2B vertical, the corporates reach out to the leather company to place an order. Also, the marketing team helps in generating orders. Mostly, the corporates want customised items.

Mission of Bioleather

“Our mission is to restore biodiversity and reduce the impact of climate change by transforming the global leather trade,” the Bioleather founder said.

To do this, the company is making durable, comfortable, affordable, and sustainable leather and leather products from microbes. 

Animal leather production uses nearly half of the world’s land. Besides, it is responsible for at least 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and consumes 25% of the world’s freshwater.

“We make leather from microbes using a small fraction of the land, water, and energy, so people can enjoy leather with love, without harming the planet they love,” he added.

Investment and annual turnover

Pritesh Mistry founded his startup investing around Rs. 30-35 Lakhs, and the annual turnover generated for FY2024-25 was Rs. 1.2 Crore. The profits generated are around 15-20% as shared by the founder.

Also read: "Investors rejected us, saying Bihari food won't make promising biz": Today, this Bihari entrepreneur runs "Gaon", clocks ₹6 Cr revenue (startuppedia.in)

Awards and recognitions

In 2021, Bioleather won the PETA Vegan Fashion Award for Best Innovation in Textiles.

The brand is committed to creating new sustainable solutions and promoting ethical practices through the industry value chains to help build a better world through the fashion industry.

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Taking care of bioleather items

“Any person can take care of bioleather products with ease,” Pritesh told Startup Pedia. “You just take a damp cloth to wipe it off when they get dirty!”

Wax polish can also be done to bring a shine to Bioleather goods.

Goals

Founder Pritesh Mistry said they are aiming to broaden their reach across India and also USA, and the UK.

Now, a 13-employee company, Bioleather, is also planning to get into the D2C segment.

“Bioleather is committed to creating new sustainable solutions and promoting ethical practices through the industry value chains to help build a better world,” the founder shared while signing off.

The brand is in demand in fashion, footwear, bags, and even the automotive industry. With a production capacity of 5,000 meters per month, the leather startup is scaling rapidly to meet rising international demand.

From food waste to global fashion ramps, Bioleather is showing how Indian innovation can decipher sustainability challenges.

Also read: Meet these two 22-YO engineers who built India’s first AI-powered Robot that burns weeds with lasers instead of pesticides (startuppedia.in)