Huue
Huue is a San Francisco synthetic biology company that produces bio-based indigo and ultramarine dyes as drop-in replacements for petrochemical dyes, primarily serving denim and jeans manufacturers through B2B enterprise sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Huue firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Huue
- Legal name
- Huue
- Website
- https://huue.bio
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Huue is a San Francisco synthetic biology company that produces bio-based indigo and ultramarine dyes as drop-in replacements for petrochemical dyes, primarily serving denim and jeans manufacturers through B2B enterprise sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Huue industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bio-based industrial dyes
- NAICS
- Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pigments & Dyes (IMAEAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Synthetic/Artificial Colorants (FD&C Dyes, Lake Pigments) (AFAJAEAC), Application-Specific Color Solutions (Beverage, Dairy, Confectionery, Bakery, Savory, Pet Food) (AFAJAEAH)
Keywords
Where Huue is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Huue business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bio-based Indigo Dye Sales: Revenue generated from selling biosynthetic indigo dye to fashion manufacturers, particularly denim and jeans producers
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Huue product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Huue manufactures and sells bio-based pigments produced through synthetic biology, starting with indigo dye for the denim industry and extending to ultramarine dye. The company engineers microbes to convert sugar into vibrant pigment via proprietary pathways that mirror natural color production, delivering a one-to-one drop-in replacement for conventional petroleum-based and chemically synthesized dyes used by fashion, food, and cosmetics manufacturers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bio-based Indigo Dye Sustainable bio-based indigo pigment produced through synthetic biology for the denim and fashion industry, offering a one-to-one replacement for conventional petroleum-based indigo with five times less toxicity potential.
- Sustainable Ultramarine Dye Bio-based ultramarine pigment launched as part of the company's expansion into sustainable color solutions beyond indigo, targeting applications in fashion, food, and cosmetics industries.
Quantifiable outcome
- Five times less toxicity potential compared to chemical sources
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Huue
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Huue technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Huue partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Huue competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Archroma: Archroma is a global specialty chemicals company offering sustainable textile dyes and chemicals, including low-impact indigo systems. It is a broad incumbent competing across denim with established customer relationships and scale advantages that Huue must displace.
- Sun Chemical: Sun Chemical is one of the world's largest producers of pigments and inks for packaging, publication, and specialty applications. It is a broad incumbent in synthetic dye and pigment manufacturing with the scale and distribution reach that bio-based startups like Huue must eventually compete against.
- DyeCoo Textile Systems: DyeCoo provides waterless supercritical CO2 dyeing equipment for the textile industry, enabling sustainable coloration without water. It addresses the same denim sustainability narrative as Huue but through process-equipment innovation rather than bio-based chemistry.
Emerging players
- Keel Labs: Keel Labs develops seaweed-derived fibers and bio-based textile inputs for sustainable fashion applications. It targets the same eco-conscious denim and apparel buyers as Huue, but from a materials rather than colorants angle.
- Bolt Threads: Bolt Threads applies synthetic biology to produce novel textile materials, including spider silk and sustainable proteins for fashion brands. It shares Huue's bioengineered-materials DNA and sells into the same sustainable-fashion customer base, but focuses on fibers rather than dyes.
- Modern Meadow: Modern Meadow applies bioengineering and fermentation to produce sustainable materials, initially bioleather and protein-based inputs for fashion. It shares Huue's synthetic-biology platform approach and fashion-industry go-to-market but focuses on materials rather than colorants.
- Spiber: Spiber uses brewed protein (fermentation-based) technology to produce next-generation textile fibers. While focused on fibers rather than dyes, it shares Huue's fermentation platform model, sustainable-fashion positioning, and Asian/global apparel customer pipeline.
Direct peers
- PILI Bio: PILI Bio produces bio-based dyes and pigments through fermentation of renewable feedstocks for textile, cosmetics, and printing applications. It overlaps with Huue's synbio platform approach and multi-vertical pigment roadmap.
- Stony Creek Colors: Stony Creek Colors produces plant-based (indigofera) natural indigo as a sustainable alternative for denim manufacturers. It competes head-to-head with Huue in the bio-based indigo-for-denim wedge, though using an agricultural extraction route rather than microbial fermentation.
- Colorifix: Colorifix uses engineered microbes to produce dyes and pigments for textiles, leveraging synthetic biology to deposit color directly onto fabric. It is a direct competitor in bio-based textile dyes and shares Huue's microbial-production thesis and apparel customer base.
Market position
Customer concentration
Huue social profiles
Digital presenceHuue financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Huue leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Huue funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Huue M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Huue
What does Huue do?
Huue manufactures and sells bio-based pigments produced through synthetic biology, starting with indigo dye for the denim industry and extending to ultramarine dye. The company engineers microbes to convert sugar into vibrant pigment via proprietary pathways that mirror natural color production, delivering a one-to-one drop-in replacement for conventional petroleum-based and chemically synthesized dyes used by fashion, food, and cosmetics manufacturers.
Is Huue a public or private company?
Huue is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Huue founded?
Huue was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Huue based?
Huue is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Huue make money?
One revenue line is on record: bio-based Indigo Dye Sales.
Who are Huue's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Archroma, Sun Chemical and DyeCoo Textile Systems. Emerging players are Keel Labs, Bolt Threads, Modern Meadow and Spiber. Direct peers are PILI Bio, Stony Creek Colors and Colorifix.
Does Huue have an API?
No public API is recorded for Huue.
What industry is Huue in?
Huue's product category is Bio-based industrial dyes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAJ, Pigments & Dyes, with a secondary code of AFAJAEAC, Synthetic/Artificial Colorants (FD&C Dyes, Lake Pigments). Its NAICS code is 32513 and its SIC code is 2860.