From its laboratory in Antwerp, Bloom Biotech is rewriting the rules of textiles. The company transforms food-grade microalgae (yes, from the ocean!) into carbon-negative textiles. Using innovative bioprinting technology, it produces leather-like materials through a simpler, more affordable and easily scalable process. The result: premium materials that look and feel beautiful, while using nearly 90% fewer resources and emitting around 95% less CO₂ than animal leather. A breakthrough that enables fashion brands to source circular, ethical and accessible materials designed for the next generation.

What began as a bet between two engineers, Pedro Vicente and Aravind Arivazhagan, driven by the belief that they could bring a positive solution to the fashion industry, is on its way to becoming the world’s first microalgae-based leather. With a pilot phase planned for 2026, market launch in 2027 and industrial-scale production by 2029, Bloom Biotech is demonstrating that fashion can be beautiful, circular and carbon-negative - and that the future of materials is being invented in Belgium.

"After several years supporting the growth of various biotechnology companies, we were surprised by the lack of bioengineered materials in the fashion industry. Walking through Antwerp’s shopping streets, filled with fast-fashion stores, we wondered whether it would be possible to develop a solution and create a company dedicated to textiles - and that was how the challenge began!

Among the various potential raw materials, microalgae stood out for several reasons: they are among nature’s most efficient microorganisms, are food-grade, naturally produce cellulose (cotton is 90-95% cellulose), are inexpensive and remain largely unexplored for textile applications.

From a simple laboratory in Antwerp, we have developed a simple, scalable and affordable bioprinting process to produce leather alternatives with highly promising properties. These materials are close to carbon-neutral, ready for market introduction, and can be adopted by brands and textile manufacturers without requiring any changes to their existing equipment."

Aravind Arivazhagan

Co-founder Bloom Biotech

Bloom Biotech
Bloom Biotech
Bloom Biotech
Bloom Biotech's prototype