Ecovative Design
Ecovative Design is a biomaterials company that uses proprietary mycelium cultivation technology to produce whole-cut food products (MyBacon), leather-like materials (Forager), compostable packaging, and construction materials for retail, fashion, and industrial customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersAlbany, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ecovative Design does
Ecovative Design is a biomaterials company founded in 2007 in Green Island, New York, that develops and manufactures mycelium-based products for food, fashion, packaging, and construction applications. The company's proprietary AirMycelium platform controls mycelium growth at commercial scale through strain development, environmental programming, and machine-learning-driven optimization (trained on 26,000 records and 4,500 hours of growth data), and is designed to integrate directly with existing mushroom farming infrastructure to unlock 450 million square meters of global capacity. Ecovative operates the world's largest aerial mycelium farm (Swersey Silos, achieving 7%+ yields) alongside partner production at Pietro Mushroom Farm in Pennsylvania, with 10+ million lbs of annual feedstock throughput. The company holds over 40 issued patents worldwide and has received $26M+ in federal research funding from DARPA, NSF, USDA, and EPA.
Ecovative's commercial operations are organized through subsidiaries: MyForest Foods produces MyBacon, a whole-cut mycelium-based bacon alternative distributed through 3,300+ stores across all 50 states (including Whole Foods, Giant, Hannaford, Natural Grocers, Schnucks, and Gelson's) and ranked #1 in velocity in its category; Forager develops leather-like mycelium materials (AirLoom 2, with 10+ MPa tensile strength) in co-development with Hermès, Stella McCartney, PVH, Bestseller, and ECCO Leather ahead of 2027 commercial launches; and Mushroom Packaging offers compostable protective packaging (grown in 7 days, composts in 45) used by Dell, Steelcase, and Renais Gin, with core technology open-sourced under a zero-cost licensing program. The company also acquired Lambert Spawn in December 2022 to vertically integrate mushroom spawn supply.
Ecovative generates revenue through a mix of retail product sales (MyBacon via grocery distribution), licensing and royalties (Mushroom Packaging through Sealed Air and international licenses), enterprise development partnerships ($20M+ invested in Forager collaborations with commercial launches targeted for 2027), federal R&D contracts, and capital-light contract manufacturing with mushroom farm partners in North America and Europe. The company has raised approximately $184 million in total funding across multiple rounds, including a $60M Series D (2021) and a $30M+ Series E (2023), both led by Viking Global Investors, and has achieved direct margin positive manufacturing operations at commercial scale in 2025 with 404% YoY revenue growth.
Ecovative Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ecovative Design
- Legal name
- Ecovative Design LLC
- Website
- https://ecovative.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ecovative Design is a biomaterials company that uses proprietary mycelium cultivation technology to produce whole-cut food products (MyBacon), leather-like materials (Forager), compostable packaging, and construction materials for retail, fashion, and industrial customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Ecovative Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albany
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Ecovative Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- MyForest Foods - MyBacon Sales: Sale of mycelium-based food products (MyBacon) through retail distribution. Product is sold as whole-cut, sliceable meat alternative through major grocery chains. Direct margin positive in 2025 with 404% YoY growth. Now in 3,300+ stores nationwide.
- Forager Materials - Licensing/Sales: Sale and licensing of mycelium-based leather-like materials to fashion and electronics brands. $20M+ invested in development partnerships. Commercial launches with strategic partners planned for 2027.
- Mushroom Packaging - Licensing: Licensing of open-sourced mycelium packaging technology. Core European and Israeli patents available under open patent program with zero-cost licensing for participants. Brand partners include Dell, Steelcase, Renais Gin.
- Federal Research Funding: $26M+ in federal research funding from DARPA, NSF, USDA, and EPA for mycelium technology development.
- Equity/Bridge Funding: Ecovative raised $11 million including grants and loans to expand mycelium-based products for alternative meat and textiles.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | MyBacon retail positioning against premium meat alternatives |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Ecovative Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ecovative Design manufactures and sells mycelium-based products across food, fashion, packaging, and construction through its proprietary AirMycelium platform. The company produces MyBacon (whole-cut vegan bacon sold in 3,300+ retail stores), Forager leather-like materials for fashion brands (launching 2027), compostable Mushroom Packaging (licensed to Dell, Steelcase, Renais Gin), and carbon-negative mycelium insulation for construction. The technology enables capital-light expansion by integrating with existing global mushroom farming infrastructure.
Product overview
Ecovative Design operates as a multi-product platform company built around mycelium-based manufacturing. The core AirMycelium platform enables scalable production of mycelium for food (MyBacon via MyForest Foods subsidiary), fashion materials (Forager leather-like hides), packaging (Mushroom Packaging), and construction (Mycelium Construction). Grow.bio previously served as a community platform though is currently suspended. The portfolio spans from commercial food production achieving direct margin positive in 2025 to fashion and materials development targeting commercial launches in 2027.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MyForest Foods: Subsidiary producing mycelium-based food products including MyBacon vegan bacon
- Forager
- Mushroom Packaging
- Grow.bio
- AirMycelium
- MyBacon
Products and services
- MyBacon Whole-cut, sliceable meat alternative made from wildtype gourmet mycelium, brined using a signature recipe, ready to heat and serve. Sold through natural grocery retail channels across 3,300+ stores including Whole Foods, Giant, Hannaford, Natural Grocers, Schnucks, and Gelson's. Fastest-selling vegan bacon in the natural channel with 2x category velocity per SPINS.
- Forager Leather-Like Mycelium Materials Mycelium-based leather-like materials for fashion accessories, apparel, and footwear. AirLoom 2 matches animal leather in tensile strength (10+ MPa) and exceeds in elongation (25-30%). Indoor production enables 5-10 year planning horizons and 50% lower CO2 than traditional leather. Commercial launches with leading fashion and electronics brands planned for 2027.
- Mushroom Packaging Compostable protective packaging grown in 7 days and composted in 45 days, replacing petroleum-based foams. 100% bio-based, custom shapes grown to any mold, ocean-safe and fire-resistant without chemical additives. Used by Dell, Steelcase, and Renais Gin. Core European and Israeli composites patents available under open patent program with zero-cost licensing.
- Mycelium Insulation Fire-resistant, carbon-negative building materials for low-carbon construction. Applications include advanced composites, insulating boards, structural insulated panels (SIPs), acoustic panels, and building facades. Carbon-sequestering during growth and throughout installed lifetime. Pilot projects include MoMA PS1 Hy-Fi Tower.
Quantifiable outcome
- 404% YoY revenue growth in 2025
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Ecovative Design
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ecovative Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Ecovative Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Dr. Conny Wittke (Forager President)coreDr. Conny Wittke named Forager President to accelerate commercialization of leather-like hides and plastic-free foams for fashion industry.
- AGI DenimminorMushroom Rodeo jeans collection collaboration - turning post-consumer denim waste into fungi-based bricks and padding.
- LimbracocoreMachinery alliance for AirMycelium technology - cutting-edge technology partnership to transform mushroom farming with advanced equipment. Partnership to expand animal-free meat production through mushroom farming technology.
- PANGAIAmajorMycelium foam collaboration for fashion applications. Strategic partner for sustainable materials development.
- VivobarefootmajorMycelium foam collaboration for footwear applications. Strategic partner for sustainable shoe materials.
- ReformationmajorJoined Fashion for Good cooperative for next-generation mycelium materials.
- WolverinemajorJoined Fashion for Good cooperative for next-generation mycelium materials.
- ECCO LeathermajorPartnership for mycelium hides development and commercialization.
- Fashion for Good Cooperative (PVH, Bestseller)coreCooperative launch with PVH Corp and Bestseller to bring next-generation mycelium materials to market. Strategic partnership for fashion industry commercialization.
- Sealed AircoreLicensing agreement for Mushroom Packaging technology. Sealed Air IR announcement in 2012 to accelerate adoption of mycelium-based packaging.
- Pietro Mushroom FarmcorePartner farm in Pennsylvania for contract manufacturing of mycelium products. Achieving 6%+ yields as part of capital-light expansion model using existing mushroom farm infrastructure.
- DellmajorUsed Mushroom Packaging for server packaging - replacing petroleum-based foam with compostable mycelium alternative.
- SteelcasemajorIntroduced bio-based packaging material using mycelium technology.
- Renais GinminorUsed Mushroom Packaging for product packaging.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ecovative Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MycoTechnology: US-based mushroom fermentation platform producing food ingredients and alt-protein ingredients (ClearSweet, FermentIQ), comparable to Ecovative's mycoprotein ingredient and platform approach.
- Spiber: Japanese Brewed Protein company producing fermentation-based protein fibers and materials for apparel, overlapping Ecovative's Forager in the next-gen fashion/textile materials category.
- Modern Meadow: US-based bio-materials company developing bio-based leather alternatives (Bio-Alloy / Bio-Verde), competing head-to-head with Ecovative's Forager in the sustainable leather materials category.
- The EVERY Company: US-based animal-free protein company producing ovalbumin and other functional proteins via fermentation, comparable to Ecovative's mycoprotein platform in the broader alternative protein ingredients category.
- Bolt Threads: US-based biomaterials company developing Mylo, a mycelium-based leather alternative, directly comparable to Ecovative's Forager/AirLoom materials targeting fashion and luxury brands.
- Meati Foods: US-based company producing whole-cut, mycelium-based meat alternatives for retail and foodservice, directly comparable to Ecovative's MyForest Foods / MyBacon line in the mycelium protein category.
- Nature's Fynd: US-based alternative protein company using fungal fermentation (Fusarium strain) to produce whole-food protein products, closely comparable to Ecovative's mycoprotein food platform in technology and category.
- Magical Mushroom Company: UK-based company growing mycelium-based packaging products (Mushroom Packaging, Sparge), directly comparable to Ecovative's Mushroom Packaging line in compostable protective packaging.
Emerging players
- Reishi.nl: Netherlands-based company developing mycelium-based materials and leather alternatives, an emerging European player overlapping with Ecovative's Forager leather and mushroom material offerings.
Broad incumbents
- Quorn: UK-based established leader in mycoprotein food products (Quorn brand) sold globally, a broad incumbent that pioneered and continues to dominate the mycoprotein food category in which Ecovative/MyForest Foods now competes.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Customer concentration
Ecovative Design social profiles
Digital presenceEcovative Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ecovative Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Ecovative Design subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Ecovative Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds18 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ecovative Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ecovative Design
What does Ecovative Design do?
Ecovative Design manufactures and sells mycelium-based products across food, fashion, packaging, and construction through its proprietary AirMycelium platform. The company produces MyBacon (whole-cut vegan bacon sold in 3,300+ retail stores), Forager leather-like materials for fashion brands (launching 2027), compostable Mushroom Packaging (licensed to Dell, Steelcase, Renais Gin), and carbon-negative mycelium insulation for construction. The technology enables capital-light expansion by integrating with existing global mushroom farming infrastructure.
Is Ecovative Design a public or private company?
Ecovative Design is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ecovative Design founded?
Ecovative Design was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ecovative Design based?
Ecovative Design is headquartered in Albany, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ecovative Design make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. MyForest Foods - MyBacon Sales are the primary driver. The others are forager Materials - Licensing/Sales, mushroom Packaging - Licensing, federal Research Funding and equity/Bridge Funding.
Who are Ecovative Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MycoTechnology, Spiber, Modern Meadow, The EVERY Company, Bolt Threads, Meati Foods, Nature's Fynd and Magical Mushroom Company. Reishi.nl is listed as an emerging player. Quorn is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ecovative Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ecovative Design.