Gozen appoints Dr. Sedef Uncu Aki as chief product officer

San Francisco-based biomaterials startup Gozen has appointed Dr. Sedef Uncu Aki as its new chief product officer.

At Gozen, the company added, Dr. Aki will lead the development and commercialization of Lunaform, a next-gen material that is unique in being both plastic-free and animal-free with high performance.

Gozen debuted Lunaform in partnership with Balenciaga at Paris Fashion Week last year. Both parties earned the Most Innovative Partnership award at the 2023 PETA Fashion Awards.

"Dr. Aki's extensive experience and forward-thinking approach in sustainable product development align seamlessly with Gozen's vision of pioneering high-performance next-gen materials. Her expertise will be invaluable as we continue to innovate and lead the way in next-gen biomaterials with Lunaform and beyond," said Ece Gozen, CEO of Gozen.

Dr. Aki joins Gozen with over 20 years of experience. The company said in a statement that her previous tenure as the director of product development & research at denim brand Orta involved creating and leading business in denim products, managing a 130 million dollars P&L. Prior to her role at Orta, Dr. Aki served as the general manager at Bossa, a textile company with a market cap of more than 200 million dollars.

“Gozen's commitment resonates strongly with my own values, and I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Gozen to create a positive impact on a global scale," added Dr. Aki.