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Brett Cotten
Co-founder, Arda Biomaterials | Cambridge MBA for Biotech (MBE) | Author, Gene-trepreneur | 30u30 | Alt Protein, Biomaterials, & Climate-tech
Brett Cotten is the Co-Founder and CEO of Arda Biomaterials, a startup focused on creating sustainable biomaterials from waste, particularly brewery by-products. Founded in June 2022, Arda Biomaterials aims to develop animal-free and plastic-free alternatives to leather, starting with their product called New Grain™, which is derived from spent grain from the brewing industry. The company has successfully raised over £2 million in funding to support its operations and innovation in the biomaterials sector.125
Background and Education
Brett holds an MBA for Biotech (MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise) from the University of Cambridge. His academic and professional journey includes significant experience in the alternative protein sector, having worked with various startups and venture studios. Notably, he was part of Counterfactual Ventures, which specializes in alternative proteins, and has also contributed to Arkeon Biotechnologies, a company focused on converting CO2 into protein.248
Achievements
Cotten has authored a book titled Gene-trepreneur, which discusses leveraging biotechnology for entrepreneurship in food and materials to address climate challenges. Under his leadership, Arda Biomaterials has gained recognition for its innovative approach to sustainability and has been involved in discussions about scaling biomaterials within the circular economy.136
Vision for Arda Biomaterials
Cotten emphasizes the importance of transforming waste into high-value materials that can disrupt traditional industries, particularly fashion and automotive. His vision includes not only creating sustainable products but also advancing the development of a circular economy by utilizing resources that would otherwise be discarded.57
Highlights
Really cool to wake up this morning and learn that TJ Edward Mitchell and I are amongst a talented group of peers in this year's Forbes 30 under 30 Europe, within the Manufacturing & Industry category. 🏭 🌿
The team at Arda Biomaterials have worked really hard to develop material innovations made from spent brewery and distillery grain, at an amazing pace, and beginning with our next-gen, leather-like material New Grain! 💪 TJ and I are really proud to be working alongside a stellar team to drive forward animal and plastic-free materials for use in fashion, automotive, and more.
Congrats to our fellow nominees and in particular, some familiar faces we're happy to see:
🌊 Carlo Fedeli and Thibaut Monfort Micheo from FlexSea (who we used to work side by side with in Eden Bio Ltd's lab in West London) 🔋 David Oudsandji of Voltfang ⚡ William W. Whatley of Metris Energy 👚 Luna Aslan of NOOSA™
Here's the website: https://lnkd.in/e8fb9KkB
Cheers! 🍻
