Perth greentech startup Uluu has signed an agreement with a leading Australian fashion brand to supply buttons made from seaweed for its line of pyjamas.
Perth greentech startup Uluu has signed an agreement with a leading Australian fashion brand to supply buttons made from seaweed for its line of pyjamas.
Founded by ecologist Julia Reisser and M&A lawyer Michael Kingsbury, Uluu makes a plastic alternative from farmed seaweed; and has inked an agreement with New South Wales brand Papinelle for the supply of buttons.
Uluu's technology employs specialised microbes to ferment polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from seaweed, processing them into a powdered form and moulding them into pellets, primed for use in manufacturing.
The materials are biodegradable and free from fossil fuels.
Uluu co-founder Dr Julia Reisser said it was a major step forward for both the company, and fashion as a whole.
"These buttons may be small, but they represent a major leap in how fashion can rethink materials," she said.
Papinelle founder Renae James said the collaboration represented the brand's commitment to natural materials and conscious craftsmanship.
"It's about offering our customers something they weren't expecting - a story behind every detail," she said.
It's not the first time Uluu has been selected by a leading Australian brand either, with the firm inking an agreement with Quicksilver in early 2024 for the surf brand's wax combs to be made with Uluu's plastic alternative.
The startup has raised more than $10 million and last year won the WA Innovator of the Year award (pre-revenue category).
