Cool Japan leads $44m round for Spiber

According to a release, the capital will be used to advance construction of a new production plant in Thailand that will allow for large-scale protein fermentation and purification processes. The facility, which is planned to be the biggest of its kind in the world, will be 100 times larger than the company's pilot operation in Japan.

Construction is scheduled to begin by the latter half of 2019, and commercial production is expected to start from 2021. Thailand was chosen for its abundance of biomass resources. Proteins produced at the plant will be shipped to and spun into fibers at Spiber's Japan-based spinning facilities, which are also slated for upgrades and expansion.

Founded in 2007, Spiber products a range of fibers, woven and knit textiles, and non-woven fabrics, as well as molecularly designed protein materials that can also be processed into resins, films, gels, and composites. The company says its products have the potential to serve as sustainable mainstay industrial materials due to their low environmental impact, biodegradability, and non-reliance on traditional petroleum resources.

The investment marks a departure for Cool Japan, which has historically focused on cultural categories. The government launched the fund in late 2013 with an aim to invest JPY90 billion ($821 million) in the globalization of domestic businesses operating in fashion, food, media, leisure, education, and tourism. Recent activity includes participation in a $35 million round for US lifestyle media company Tastemade aimed at promoting Japanese culture.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Save this article  
• Send to  

• Topics
• North Asia
• Industrials
• Technology
• Early-stage
• Japan
• manufacturing