Business founder and innovator Shelley Houston was one of the speakers at our Sustainable Solutions Symposium, where she talked about how her project has grown from a kitchen-based experiment into a world-first, plastic-free leather alternative made from kiwifruit waste.
Since then, the company has entered an exciting new chapter, including a new identity. KiwiLeather Innovations is now Materially Kiwi Innovations, reflecting a broader vision to develop next-generation bio-based materials and maximise the value of New Zealand’s biological resources.
Their science journey has continued to evolve through its collaboration with Scion, the Bioeconomy Science Institute and the BPA. Rather than focusing solely on developing a leather-like material, they are now looking into extracting and refining compounds from waste kiwifruit to better position the business for the development of a superior bio-based leather-like material.
Alongside this work, several horticultural bioactive opportunities are also being investigated, with the potential to create circular pathways that return value back into the kiwifruit and wider horticultural sectors. Every stage of the research is helping them better understand the functionality of individual compounds and how they can contribute to future material performance while creating additional value from what was previously considered waste.
“One of the greatest lessons from working alongside the BSI and BPA has been understanding that innovation often requires going backwards to go forwards,” says founding director Shelley Houston.
“Together with the research team, we have systematically stripped back our formulations, validating every ingredient and every processing step to build a stronger scientific foundation for future commercialisation. This disciplined approach has strengthened our material, reduced technical risk and provided greater confidence as we prepare for our next phase of research and development.”
The increased credibility provided through the BPA’s support continues to create new opportunities.
During the past year, Materially Kiwi has been featured across national and international media, including a feature on Seven Sharp, interviews with RNZ, and coverage in New Zealand and international publications highlighting the growing interest in their innovation and the opportunities for New Zealand’s bioeconomy.
This year also marked another successful appearance in the Fieldays Innovation Hub, providing an opportunity to showcase their latest developments to thousands of visitors from across New Zealand’s primary industries, manufacturing sector, investors and international delegates.
“Fieldays continues to be an invaluable platform for connecting innovation with industry and demonstrating how agricultural by-products can become high-value manufacturing materials,” says Shelley.
Beyond research, Shelley has increasingly become an advocate for innovation and the circular bioeconomy. Following her presentation at the BPA Sustainable Solutions Symposium, she was invited to speak at the Threads of Tomorrow Summit, sharing the journey from creative founder to biomaterials entrepreneur and highlighting the importance of collaboration between industry and science.
Materially Kiwi has also been selected to participate in Creative HQ’s Aurora Climate Lab, where the company is continuing to refine its commercial strategy and develop its investment readiness.
“As we look ahead, we are continuing to work with the BSI and prepare for the next phase of BPA-supported research. Our shared focus remains on advancing New Zealand science into commercially viable solutions that create value from agricultural by-products, strengthen regional industries, and contribute to a more circular and sustainable manufacturing future,” says Shelley.
“The BPA has played a pivotal role in helping transform an idea developed in a home kitchen into a science-backed platform with growing national and international recognition.”
“Our appetite for R&D was born from the BPA support and look where we are now! We wouldn’t have got anywhere without that first proof of concept project. The BPA has helped open a lot of doors, including to investment and to other businesses that we are intending to partner or collaborate with. The opportunity to speak at the Sustainable Solutions Symposium helped our profile and gave us confidence to present in other forums. We now belong to this incredible ecosystem thanks to the BPA – the more that can be done together, the better!” – Shelley Houston – Materially Kiwi
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