Biophilica names new board director and expands leadership

London-based material innovation start-up Biophilica, known for its debut plant-based material Treekind, has appointed Dharan Kiru to its board of directors.

Kiru, the ex-director of sustainable technology innovation at Adidas, will advise on the growth of the business and the development of the Biophilica brand, as it continues to scale Treekind, a plastic-free, home-compostable leather alternative made from leaves.

With more than nine years at Adidas within material and tech engineering, Biophilica states that Kiru brings a wealth of knowledge to the company “at a critical point in their scaling journey,W” as he has a “deep understanding of material engineering and developing new sustainable technology”.

He is also well versed in driving long-term sustainable strategy within large-scale businesses, having played a key role in innovations, including Adidas Boost, Made To Be Remade and leather alternative Mylo.

Commenting on joining Biophilica’s board, Kiru said in a statement: “After working with Biophilica for a year in an advisory capacity, I was impressed by the progress on the material, an uncompromising stance on sustainability and, most of all, the talented people at the heart of the business.

“Most of the work lies ahead and being part of that journey is an opportunity and challenge I was not going to pass up.”

Biophilica appoints new head of commercial and head of business

In addition, Biophilica also announced the expansion of its London team, appointing a new head of commercial and head of business.

Elvira Pilatti is joining as head of commercial, bringing over 15 years of experience in premium luxury retail, including roles at Net-a-Porter, John Lewis, Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo. She will be responsible for sales growth and brand visibility for Biophilica, leading the development, implementation and performance of the commercial strategy.

Jessica Kruger is joining as head of business and has 10 years of experience in building and scaling two mission-driven brands, including one B Corp. Her role will focus on streamlining operations and implementing processes to scale the company more efficiently.

Mira Nameth, chief executive of Biophilica, said: “As our board and senior leadership grow, we are delighted to build a team with the specialist insights and expertise needed to help guide Biophilica as we work to scale our circular products and develop future innovations.”

Biophilica was founded in 2019 by Nameth and brought its innovative material to market in 2023 following its seed round investment of 1.2 million pounds funded by investors, including Rhapsody Venture Partners and Fashion For Good.

The material innovation start-up moved into a 3,200-square-foot facility in South West London in 2022, where the team is scaling up production and testing methods. To meet the growing demand, Biophilica is currently conducting large-scale trials in the UK and Europe.