Oscar-Winning Actress Natalie Portman Fuels $7.9 Million Investment in First-of-its-Kind Plastic-Fre
‘Mix compassion with good business acumen’ – That seems to be the motto of Natalie Portman, one of the biggest names in world cinema today. Portman, whose net worth is an estimated $90 million, has invested in UNCAGED Innovations. UNCAGED is a NY-based startup which was founded in 2020 with the aim of providing leather alternatives which is not only plant-based, but plastic-free as well.
For many years, there have been doubts over ‘sustainable’ fashion, automotive and home interior brands not really being as eco-friendly as they claim. The passionate environmentalist that Portman is, she herself has struggled to find them, which is why at times she had to settle. It is this relentless pursuit from UNCAGED to bridge that gap in the market which has impressed the Hollywood star and made her invest.
“As a vegan, I’ve spent years advocating for animals, and teaming up with UNCAGED allows me to amplify that mission.
“UNCAGED is one of the most exciting businesses in the biomaterials space that I have seen. The significant market traction they have gained at such an early stage is proof of the demand for materials that are animal-free, luxurious, and sustainable,” Portman said in an official statement.
Image Credit: Natalie Portman/Instagram
UNCAGED is the first company in the world to successfully make protein out of grains such as wheat, corn and soy to make vegan leather. With their BioFuze technology, they are able to make plastic redundant and instead use biomaterials such as plant oils, mineral pigments, flower extracts and natural rubber. The fibres created from it make it strong and durable, which matches the texture and feel of collagen for instance. A new independent study confirms that Elevate, their copyrighted leather alternative, helps in cutting down 89% of water consumption, 71% of energy usage and produces 95% lesser greenhouse gases as compared to animal leather.
Image Credit: Veg Club Magazine/Instagram
Elevate is the ticket for UNCAGED to pick up with B2C and D2C fashion brands alongside their global aspirations. It is no longer aspirational but heartwarming that Elevate is soughtafter by legacy companies like Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover, with the latter already being an investor in UNCAGED too. Puma, via Jason Wilson, have also adopted the leather for their special line of shoes.
This is definitely Portman’s most ambitious ‘vegan investment’ in years, having contributed in the latest $7.9 million funding round. Apart from UNCAGED, she remains invested in the growth of other plant-based companies such as Swedish vegan dairy brand Oatly (alongside Oprah Winfrey), La Vie (French mock meat brand) and Tender Food (Boston-based mock meat startup).
Will India have its own Natalie Portman championing this cause in the future? Time will tell. But it is great news for sure for the plant-based, sustainable living community across the globe.
It comes weeks after Bharat Biomaterials, an Indian company launched a revolution in the country with Terratan, it’s biodegradable, plant-based leather alternative. For more on this, click on Terratan™ by Bharat Biomaterials: India’s Plant-Based Leather Revolution
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