PEEL Lab is a Japanese B2B startup with a vision: upcycling food loss, preventing animal cruelty, and stopping global warming. It has made a new kind of leather out of what would usually be thrown away, using fruit peels from juice factories.
PEEL Lab leather is plant-based, sustainable, and ethically produced from the same material found in nature. Besides acting as an alternative to leather, it actually contributes to the environment by reducing waste, emissions and other pollutants that impact the planet.
A winner of the ORIGIN Innovation Awards 2022: Startup Leader of the Year — Startup Trailblazers award, PEEL Lab Co-Founder Jim Huang noted that millennials and GEN-Z are looking for eco-friendly products and brands. The startup hopes to make its leather affordable and accessible to everyone.
“Our environmental impact is huge compared to the traditional leather industry and we look for ways to build a green supply chain and biodegradable products,” he told TechNode Global in a brief interview.
When asked about the challenges PEEL Lab faces, he said, “pricing, pricing and pricing. We want to remove the stigma that innovation is expensive so we are constantly reviewing our business model to stay competitive and relevant.”
He also strongly believes that sustainability is the “single most important ingredient for a profit-driven organization” in today’s world.
Jim is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about sustainability. He recently co-founded his third venture PEEL Lab, a B2B GreenTech manufacturing plant-based leather and a tool for decarbonization. Mission is to upcycle food loss, prevent animal cruelty and reduce carbon footprint.
What are the trends driving innovation in your industry?
Millennials and GEN-Z are looking for eco-friendly products and brands and we hope to make our leather affordable and accessible to everyone.
Would you agree that sustainability is important to building successful products and services today? Why so?
Sustainability is the single most important ingredient for a profit-driven organization.
Define impact. What role does this play in building products and services?
Our environmental impact is huge compared to the traditional leather industry and we look for ways to build a green supply chain and biodegradable products.
What are the three (3) key challenges in sustainable innovation? How is your company/team able to address these challenges?
Pricing, pricing and pricing. We want to remove the stigma that innovation is expensive so we are constantly reviewing our business model to stay competitive and relevant.
Please share any case studies, success stories, data, or industry insights that can highlight these.
Our vision is to replace 1 percent of the existing leather market by 2030. Please check out our Instagram @peel.lab.
This TechNode Global Q&A is part of the ORIGIN Innovation Awards 2022 series. PEEL Lab is a winner of the Startup Leader of the Year — Startup Trailblazers award.