Biomaterial company Modern Meadow says it’s ready to take its Bio-Vera leather alternative to the commercial market.

The company announced at the recent Lineapelle Milano leather fair that it now has the capability to produce more than 500,000 square meters of Bio-Vera material each year. Bio-Vera is made with a flexible mix of plant-based proteins and polymers called Bio-Alloy that mimics the look, feel and performance of leather without petroleum-based or animal-derived ingredients. The material is composed of more than 90-percent renewable carbon content.

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“The alternative leather industry has faced challenges in meeting the commercial demands of these sectors, but with our new production capabilities, we are confident in our ability to help our customers achieve their sustainability goals at scale,” said David Williamson, president and CEO of Modern Meadow.

Bio-Vera was designed for applications in footwear, fashion accessories and furniture, as well in the automotive industry.

This new production capability comes after Modern Meadow focused its operation on biomaterials by selling off its beauty and biomedical divisions earlier this year. French biotech company HTL Biotechnology acquired the businesses, with the proceeds going to fund scaling of biomaterials such as Bio-Vera.

“Our decision to focus on our bio-materials business will focus both our research and commercial efforts in this sector and bring next-gen products to industries such as apparel, footwear, outdoor and automotive,” Williamson said at the time of the sale.

In July, Modern Meadow partnered with Australia-based sustainable activewear brand Earthletica for a jacket made of the biomaterial company’s Bio-Alloy Shield, a breathable, waterproof membrane. Dubbed the “Bronte Jacket,” the piece was named after Earthletica founder and Olympic swimmer Bronte Campbell, who wore the jacket at Australian Olympic swimming trials leading up to the 2024 Paris games.

Modern Meadow’s expansion of Bio-Vera comes at a time when the bio-based alternative leather market is poised for significant growth. A recent report on the bio-based leather alternative industry from emerging technologies research firm IDTechEx predicted the market will expand at a rate of 37.4 percent over the next decade. The report also found that more than $1 billion in investments have been made to develop alternative leathers, particularly bio-based solutions.