Uluu scales up its seaweed alternative to plastics with Quiksilver collaboration

Perth biotech startup Uluu has launched its first commercial product in collaboration with iconic surf brand Quiksilver. A new run of the brand’s iconic boardshorts will feature a unique addition: wax combs made from Uluu’s seaweed-based alternative to plastic. And this is just the first step towards some much loftier goals for both businesses.

Uluu has been busy since we last spoke to them back in November 2022. At the time it had just raised $8 million in seed funding to help advance its mission of creating sustainable plastic alternatives.

This funding round was led by CSIRO’s Main Sequence with endorsements from public figures like Karlie Kloss and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. The investment aimed to enhance ULUU’s capacity for research and development, focusing on replacing traditional plastics with more environmentally friendly options.

The ‘Made with Uluu’ wax combs serve as the first commercial application of Uluu. Co-founder and ocean scientist Dr Julia Reisser emphasises the symbolic importance of these combs as a step towards replacing traditional plastics with more sustainable materials.

“They’re small, limited items, yet super meaningful. They represent our first step towards replacing plastic with materials that are good for the world,” Dr Reisser said.

“Having a plastic-like natural material that’s durable, yet recyclable and compostable, is incredibly exciting. It opens up a range of new possibilities in circular business models across many industries.”

How does Uluu work?

Uluu’s proprietary material, also named Uluu, is derived from a fermentation process similar to beer brewing. It involves using seaweed sugars, seawater, and saltwater microbes to produce natural polymers known as PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates). These polymers are designed to offer similar durability to conventional plastics while being biodegradable and free from fossil fuels.

Precision fermentation is something that is growing in popularity in the Australian startup space. And that’s largely thanks to Cauldron — a precision fermentation company in Orange.

After securing $10.5 million in seed funding in March, it is now providing its technology to Australian startups such as Uluu, as well as Eden Brew and Nourish Ingredients – all of which have landed substantial capital raises in the last 12 months.

For Uluu, its impact on sustainability is multi-faceted. It not only aims to replace the likes of plastic with its product, but its use of seaweed farming (the core of its material production) contributes to carbon dioxide removal and pollution absorption in oceans. Additionally, seaweed farming supports sustainable job creation, particularly in coastal communities. In Indonesia, for instance, 65% of seaweed farmers are women, highlighting the social dimension of Uluu’s business model.

Next steps: clothing, a new plant and a Series A

This collaboration between Quiksilver and Uluu opens up possibilities for future product development and wider use of Uluu in the apparel industry. Both companies express interest in exploring additional opportunities for integrating Uluu into other products, aiming to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease the release of microplastics.

Uluu has been working with Deakin University to turn its material into material for clothing, to have a first prototype in mid-2024.

“We’ve been on this journey of developing a fiber with them. Then we went into yarns and have seen our first prototypes of fabrics. It’s a big milestone for us,” Dr Reisser said.

From there, Uluu plans to develop and commercialise ‘Made with Uluu’ apparel with Quiksilver that the company says will perform just as well as plastic-based clothing that has been made with fossil fuels.

Importantly, it also offers wearers an alternative that won’t create additional pollution during the washing process or after disposal.

“We still rely on plastic materials to be able to truly enjoy outdoor environments,” Dr Reisser said.

“We are super enthusiastic towards developing fabrics that can replace those plastic textiles with something that’s natural, but deliver those performance attributes that we like about plastic fibers.”

Uluu also said that it is in talks with other brands and companies regarding future partnerships, including packaging in the cosmetics industry.

Looking further into 2024, Uluu revealed exclusively to SmartCompany that it is applying for B Corp status and is looking to close a Series A later this year.

Another large change will be the construction of a new plant in Indonesia to help scale up Uluu’s operations.

At present the company is restricted to smaller-scale product runs, such as the wax combs, due to its Perth plant only being able to produce limited amounts of material

“We still have very little, precious amount of materials coming out of our test plant. We’re producing about one to two kilos [of PHA] per week. “That allows us to do limited editions of things, customer trials and product development,” Dr Reisser said.

According to Dr Reisser, this allows Uluu customers to see what the company is able to do and then enter into larger agreements. And it is this arrangement that has helped fund the first part of the new plant — a biorefinery to help process seaweed.

Dr Reisser said it is important for Uluu to collect and process the seaweed in a socially and environmentally ethical way in the region.

“And if all goes well next year we’ll expand the plant to be in a position to produce our PHA and then we’ll be providing Quiksilver — among others — things at a commercial volume.”