Edinburgh, Scotland-based marine-derived dye company SeaDyes has partnered with the James Hutton Institute, as well as Scottish Enterprise, to scale up its production of sustainable fashion products.
SeaDyes will become a spin-in company – which is a partnership that joins together the intellectual property of an individual with the resources of a larger organization – of the James Hutton Institute, a Scottish research organization, and receive EUR 75,000 (USD 78,100) in funding from Scottish Enterprise’s High Growth Spinout Program to accelerate product research and commercialization.
More specifically, this spin-in setup comprises marine scientist and biotech innovator Jessica Giannotti, who created the intellectual property on which SeaDyes relies, and the James Hutton Institute, which will supply resources – both material, like research facilities, and intellectual, like access to experts and collaborative opportunities.
Financial support will come from Scottish Enterprise, Scotland’s national development agency.
SeaDyes seeks to address the growing ecological ramifications of the fashion industry's mass production by producing natural, non-toxic dyes sourced from seaweed.
According to the James Hutton Institute, traditional textile dyes can be “toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic agents and can persist as pollutants” in the environment.
"Nature-based solutions like SeaDyes can support the detoxification of the fashion and textile industries and reduce their dependency on fossil fuels," Giannotti said.
Giannotti started SeaDyes after working at another startup, Crùbag, which makes ocean-inspired scarves and was supported by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). The experience of working with SAMS inspired Giannotti to create SeaDyes.
“The urgent need for alternatives and our unique position at the intersection of marine science, sustainable aquaculture, and the fashion industry inspired us to explore sustainable material solutions from the ocean,” she said.
Leah Pape, the head of high growth services at Scottish Enterprise, said that the unusual spin-in model made this collaboration a boon to all stakeholders.
“By providing funding and wraparound support to SeaDyes, we can help Jessica turn a novel concept into a commercially viable business that can steer the textile industry in a more sustainable direction and stimulate the continued growth of the industrial biotechnology sector in Scotland,” Pape said.
For her part, Giannotti called the opportunity a “transformative” one.
“We can now treat seaweed as a crop and our dyes as a natural product and have the capacity, skills, and space to refine our technology and develop a market-fit product and scale," she said. "[The James Hutton Institute’s] research excellence and commitment to sustainability and innovation perfectly align with our vision of providing planet-friendly solutions.”
The James Hutton Institute focuses its efforts on the sustainable management of lands, crops, and natural resources. It has supported a number of other projects that have resulted in spin-in companies at the organization.
