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Culture iN, a company based in Montaigu-Vendée, Atlantic France, has invented a moulded textile made from flax threads and vegetable resin PLA (corn starch). This sustainable material is used in interior design for its acoustic properties but also in innovative projects in the transportation and luxury industries. To boost its development, the company announced a €1 million fundraising campaign.
The innovative biosourced material Varian® is the result of three years of R&D. Designed by the Vendée-born company Culture iN, this plant-based material does not require irrigation, is biodegradable and VOC-free, and has a positive carbon impact.
The material is similar to textile and can be cut with scissors, but also shaped by hot folding or thermocompression and assembled by stitching, stapling, glueing, etc. The tiles manufactured by the company from Atlantic France offer significant UV resistance and sound absorption properties. The Varian is therefore useful in many interior design projects for decoration, acoustics and lighting.
Third fundraising, with the support of public partners
After being created in 2014, Culture iN has led three rounds of fundraising. After raising €350,000 in 2017 and €250,000 in 2019, the company announced a €1 million fundraising campaign a couple of months ago.
France is the leading global producer of high quality flax, representing 70% of world production, and the development of this promising company is therefore supported by public investment funds from Atlantic France (Pays de la Loire Développement and Pays de la Loire Participations) and private funds, such as the Atlantique Vendée Innovation investment fund of the Crédit Agricole Atlantique Vendée bank.
A version of Varian for furniture and the automotive industry
Thanks to this fundraising, Culture iN will internalise part of the manufacturing process, increase its production and recruit. The company already has a portfolio of important clients (Capgemini, Banque Populaire, Total, Vinci, SNCF, etc.) and is targeting new markets with the development of a version of the Varian which could be adapted for furniture and car interiors.
- Atlantic France is home to many research and business players in the field of acoustics and is attractive to international companies from this sector, such as The Acoustics Company from the UK which established a subsidiary near Le Mans last year.
- Also based in the Sarthe department, the startup MetAcoustic specialises in the field of acoustic metamaterials and has developed a patented solution called the Metablocker which increases the acoustic insulation from 7.5 to 20 dB.
- Biocomposites can be adopted in many sectors: in Angers, students are using flax fibre… to build rockets!
- If you are interested in sustainable composite materials and the business opportunities Atlantic France can bring you, let’s meet at CES World 2022.
