Biofabricate
Brooklyn-based biomaterial innovation platform founded in 2014 that connects materials startups, consumer brands, and investors through annual summits (NYC, London, Paris), a tiered membership network, the biofab.earth learning platform, and strategic consulting services led by founder Suzanne Lee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Biofabricate does
Biofabricate is a Brooklyn-based biomaterial innovation platform and strategic consultancy founded in 2014 by Suzanne Lee. The company serves the emerging bioinnovation ecosystem by connecting three constituencies — materials startups, consumer brands, and investors — through a combination of annual flagship events (held in NYC, London, and most recently Paris in January 2024), a year-round tiered membership network (Community, Professional, and Professional Plus tiers priced $19.95/quarter to POA), and bespoke consulting, design, and education services. Core technology is non-proprietary: the platform is built on Squarespace, Memberspace, Lemon Squeezy, Community Box, and Airtable, with content IP centered on the cofab.earth biomaterials learning site and the "Understanding Bio Material Innovations" report produced with Fashion for Good.
The business model is a hybrid of event-driven revenue (Summit tickets, sponsorships, webinars), recurring subscriptions (Community at $70/yr or $19.95/quarter, Professional at $195-395/user/year), and professional services (consulting engagements with named enterprise clients including Nissan, Adidas, Selfridges, VF Corp, Oatly, Avery Dennison, BNP Paribas, and NASA, plus keynotes and workshops delivered by leadership). Customer segments span fashion, automotive, food/beverage, finance, aerospace, and cultural institutions. The company has no disclosed funding rounds, no institutional investors, and operates with 1-10 employees, making it a founder-led, capital-light platform play where growth is gated by headcount and brand-team capacity rather than capital availability. Its primary defensibility rests on the founder's first-mover authority in biofabrication (Lee coined "Biocouture™" in 2003 and is a TED Senior Fellow), curated network effects across the membership directories, and partnerships with category-defining players (Fashion for Good, Spiber, DyStar, Albini, ATW80F).
Biofabricate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Biofabricate
- Legal name
- Biofabricate LLC
- Website
- https://biofabricate.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Brooklyn-based biomaterial innovation platform founded in 2014 that connects materials startups, consumer brands, and investors through annual summits (NYC, London, Paris), a tiered membership network, the biofab.earth learning platform, and strategic consulting services led by founder Suzanne Lee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Biofabricate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biofabrication Consulting and Community Platform
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodegradable Packaging Materials (films, trays, foams) (IMAEAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Compostable & Bio-Based Packaging (PLA/PHA, Starch Blends, Cellulose Films) (IMALAMAB)
Keywords
Where Biofabricate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Biofabricate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Memberships: Annual rolling membership for start-ups, consumer brands, supply chain partners and investors working in bioinnovation. Two tiers: Professional ($195-395/user/year based on company revenue) and Professional Plus (POA, includes learning platform access and expert calls). Billed via annual invoices with manual renewal process.
- Community Memberships: Rolling membership for the broader bioinnovation ecosystem including researchers, academics, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Available as yearly ($70/year) or quarterly ($19.95/quarter) subscriptions. Auto-renews with payment processed via Lemon Squeezy.
- Event Tickets & Sponsorships: Revenue from annual summits and webinars. Free livestream events serve as lead generation for paid memberships.
- Strategic Consulting Services: Consultancy services helping investors, startups and brands understand and navigate the biofabrication landscape. Customized engagements for specific client needs.
- Speaking Engagements & Workshops: Keynotes, lectures, and bespoke workshops for brands and startups delivered by CEO Suzanne Lee and team. TED talks have been viewed by millions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Professional membership for established bioinnovation companies (revenue < $5M) |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional membership for established bioinnovation companies (revenue > $5M) |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Plus for brands seeking comprehensive biomaterials learning |
| Subscription | Annual | Community membership (annual) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Community membership (quarterly) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Biofabricate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Biofabricate is a strategic consultancy and community platform focused on biomaterial innovation. It helps brand teams, startups, and investors navigate the biofabrication landscape through strategic consulting, design services, bespoke education, and curated events. The company operates the annual Biofabricate Summit in NYC and London, a tiered Professional and Community membership network, and the biofab.earth biomaterials learning platform, connecting a global ecosystem of bioinnovators.
Product overview
Biofabricate is a NYC-based bioinnovation platform that serves the biomaterials and biofabrication industry through a multi-product ecosystem. The core offerings include an annual Summit event (held in NYC and London), and a year-round membership network with three tiers: Community Membership (for researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs), Professional Membership (for startups, brands, supply chain partners, and investors), and Professional Plus Membership (adds learning platform access and expert calls). Supporting these are the Biofabricate Learning Platform (biofab.earth), On-Demand Talks featuring webinars with industry partners, expert features and thought leadership content, biomaterials resources including the annual report produced with Fashion for Good, and a Community Project Showcase for early-stage innovators. The company also offers consultancy, design, and education services (keynotes, workshops) for brands and startups. All offerings are coordinated through the central biofabricate.co platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Biofabricate Summit Annual flagship event held in NYC and London (and previously Paris) that convenes startups, consumer brands, supply chain partners, and investors in the bioinnovation industry to explore, connect, and showcase the latest biomaterial products.
- Professional Membership Annual subscription membership for startups (founders and full-time employees), consumer brands, supply chain partners, and investors working in bioinnovation. Priced at $195/user/year (revenue <$5M) or $395/user/year (revenue >$5M). Includes members directory, ecosystem directory, exclusive professional events, on-demand video library, thought leadership articles, jobs board, and community membership benefits.
- Professional Plus Membership Premium membership tier limited to brands, priced on application. Includes all Professional benefits plus access to all levels of the biofab.earth Learning Platform and expert calls with the Biofabricate team.
- Community Membership Subscription membership open to the entire bioinnovation ecosystem, including researchers, academics, and aspiring entrepreneurs. Available as annual ($70/year) or quarterly ($19.95/quarter) auto-renewing subscriptions via Lemon Squeezy. Includes community directory, project showcase, community events, on-demand video library, and resource library.
- Biofabricate Learning Platform (biofab.earth) Multi-level biomaterials learning platform providing structured educational content for companies and professionals. Available as part of Professional Plus Membership (brands only) or as a standalone annual offering for companies.
- Consultancy Services Customized strategic consulting engagements helping investors, startups, and brands understand and navigate the biofabrication landscape, speed innovation, and deliver results faster.
- Design Services Design services spanning material design, process design, product design, brand design, and community design, including curation, advisory, and biomaterial product prototyping for startups and brands.
- Education Services (Keynotes, Lectures, and Bespoke Workshops) Keynotes, lectures, and bespoke workshops for brands and startups, ranging from introductions to biodesign and biofabrication to technology deep-dives, delivered by CEO Suzanne Lee and team.
Quantifiable outcome
- Next-gen materials projected to deliver 39% of emissions reductions needed for fashion to reach net zero
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Biofabricate
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Biofabricate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature2 records
Biofabricate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Fashion for GoodcoreFashion for Good collaborates with Biofabricate on industry initiatives including the 'Understanding Bio Material Innovations' report and projects promoting sustainable materials and circularity in footwear. Fashion for Good is a global initiative working to make all fashion sustainable.
- Around the World in 80 Fabrics (ATW80F)minorATW80F is a multi-media educational nonprofit addressing the global impact of petroleum-based textiles. Co-founded by National Geographic Explorers Dr. Tierney Thys and Carroll Dunham, they have documented over 200 sustainable fabrics from 45 countries. Biofabricate hosted their webinar exploring sustainable textiles.
- SpibercoreJapanese biotechnology startup pioneering Brewed Protein™ materials through precision fermentation. Part of the BioCircular Materials Alliance spotlight webinar featuring Spiber, DyStar, and Albini Group discussing circular textile systems built with biology.
- DyStarcoreGlobal leader in textile coloration developing solutions that reduce water, waste, and toxicity across the fashion lifecycle. Part of BioCircular Materials Alliance showcasing non-toxic dye chemistry and regenerative supply chains.
- Albini GroupcoreRenowned Italian textile house integrating biofabricated and bio-circular materials into heritage-quality fabrics. Part of BioCircular Materials Alliance demonstrating that sustainability and luxury can co-exist.
- BIOME ConsortiaminorBiotech pioneers exploring untapped microbial potential. Humankind has only discovered an estimated 0.001% of microbial species. Webinar discussion on unlocking biological frontiers for a bioeconomy to replace fossil fuels.
- Parley For The OceansminorSuzanne Lee serves as advisor to Parley For The Oceans on biomaterials. Parley is an environmental organization addressing marine ecosystem preservation through creative collaborations.
- GOB (Growing Orbiting Biology)minorCompany focused on next-generation sustainable textiles. Biofabricate hosted a fireside chat at GOB's Shopify NYC Pop-Up discussing how brands can collaborate with biomaterial manufacturers.
- EcovativeminorMycelium-based materials pioneer. Featured in GOB livestream discussing collaboration on future-proofed products, from mycelium-based earplugs to next-gen sustainable textiles.
- EpheaminorNext-generation mycelium material company. Biofabricate hosted 'Grow with Ephea' livestream featuring the winning designer Oriana Spinelli discussing designing with Ephea UMA material.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Biofabricate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fashion for Good: Global sustainable fashion accelerator and platform co-authoring content with Biofabricate. Both serve consumer brands, innovators, and investors in textile/material sustainability through programs, reports, and convening events that overlap on membership, education, and ecosystem building.
- Material Innovation Initiative (MII): Non-profit organization accelerating the development of next-gen materials (leather, fur, silk, down alternatives). Highly comparable to Biofabricate in mission, target audience (brands and material innovators), and outputs (reports, convenings, education), making it a direct ecosystem peer.
- Common Objective: Digital platform and membership network for sustainable fashion professionals. Comparable business model (subscription membership, curated directories, learning resources) and audience (fashion brands and supply chain), positioning it as a direct commercial peer to Biofabricate's community.
- SynBioBeta: Community and conference platform serving the synthetic biology industry. Operates a similar community-led model with summits, membership, and content focused on bio-innovation—highly comparable to Biofabricate's biomaterials community/events model, just at a broader biology scope.
- Good Fashion Foundation: Industry-led non-profit focused on making sustainable practices standard in fashion, with programs and convenings similar to Biofabricate's summits and partnership-driven ecosystem work in textile materials.
Broad incumbents
- Textile Exchange: Global non-profit focused on preferred fibers and materials in the textile supply chain. Larger, more established industry body with subscription membership, annual conferences, and standards work that overlaps with Biofabricate's biomaterials focus but at greater scale and scope.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform running corporate accelerator programs across verticals including Fashion & Retail and Sustainability. Connects startups to enterprise brands through pilots and events—overlapping function to Biofabricate's startup-brand matchmaking within a much larger accelerator ecosystem.
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Large, well-funded circular economy non-profit with deep fashion and materials programs (Make Fashion Circular). Operates events, reports, and network initiatives overlapping with Biofabricate's circular-bioinnovation agenda but at institutional scale.
- Innovation Forum: Events and consultancy firm convening industry leaders on sustainable supply chains, including textiles and materials. Comparable in offering sustainable-materials events and advisory content, but at broader industry scope and with established institutional backing.
Emerging players
- Modern Meadow: Bio-materials company (bioleather/fabric) where both Biofabricate's CEO Suzanne Lee and CDO Dr. Amy Congdon served as senior leaders prior to founding/joining Biofabricate. Directly comparable as a prior-generation bio-material venture, but operates as a producer rather than a platform.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Biofabricate social profiles
Digital presenceBiofabricate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Biofabricate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Biofabricate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Biofabricate 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 Biofabricate
What does Biofabricate do?
Biofabricate is a strategic consultancy and community platform focused on biomaterial innovation. It helps brand teams, startups, and investors navigate the biofabrication landscape through strategic consulting, design services, bespoke education, and curated events. The company operates the annual Biofabricate Summit in NYC and London, a tiered Professional and Community membership network, and the biofab.earth biomaterials learning platform, connecting a global ecosystem of bioinnovators.
Is Biofabricate a public or private company?
Biofabricate is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Biofabricate founded?
Biofabricate was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Biofabricate based?
Biofabricate is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Biofabricate make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Professional Memberships are the primary driver. The others are community Memberships, event Tickets & Sponsorships, strategic Consulting Services and speaking Engagements & Workshops.
Who are Biofabricate's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fashion for Good, Material Innovation Initiative (MII), Common Objective, SynBioBeta and Good Fashion Foundation. Broad incumbents are Textile Exchange, Plug and Play Tech Center, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Innovation Forum. Modern Meadow is listed as an emerging player.
Does Biofabricate have an API?
No public API is recorded for Biofabricate.
What industry is Biofabricate in?
Biofabricate's product category is Biofabrication Consulting and Community Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAOAB, Biodegradable Packaging Materials (films, trays, foams), with a secondary code of IMALAMAB, Compostable & Bio-Based Packaging (PLA/PHA, Starch Blends, Cellulose Films). Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 8731.