GOLD OF BENGAL

What GOLD OF BENGAL does

Gold of Bengal is a French nonprofit association (association loi 1901 [French law of 1901 governing nonprofit associations]) founded in 2013 by Corentin de Chatelperron in Concarneau, France, with roots in a 2009 Bangladesh-based project to develop natural fiber composite materials. Its work centers on researching, developing, and promoting technical solutions that valorize local resources and traditional know-how, with a flagship line of bio-sourced composite materials using jute fiber as reinforcement for use as an alternative to energy-intensive and polluting glass fiber. The organization pioneered two proof-of-concept vessels — Tara Tari (2009, reinforced with 40% jute fiber, sailed Bangladesh to France over 186 days and 9,000 miles) and the Gold of Bengal sailboat (2013, the first boat in the world 100% reinforced with natural fiber) — and ran the Jute Lab research project (from 2011) with Association Watever and the Bangladeshi philanthropic institution CPHD to optimize composite formulations and stand up a local production chain.

The association operates as a research, documentation, and education platform rather than a commercial product business. Core outputs include open-source low-tech documentation hosted on wiki.lowtechlab.org, pedagogical programs, enterprise training and workshops, conferences, and documentary media (a 52-minute film broadcast on Thalassa, an ARTE documentary series, and presence at 30+ film festivals). Its 2016 launch of the Nomade des Mers world tour expedition from Concarneau expanded the mandate from jute composites to global low-tech innovation scouting. Revenue mechanics are those of a French nonprofit — donations, grants, and partnerships — with no commercial pricing or customer transactions. In 2020 the association rebranded as Low-tech Lab to consolidate its research, expeditions, and open-source documentation under a unified mission, retiring the Gold of Bengal name (now preserved as a museum/archive site).

Name

GOLD OF BENGAL

Legal name

Association Low-tech Lab

Website

http://www.goldofbengal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gold of Bengal is a French nonprofit association (now operating as Low-tech Lab) that researches, documents, and promotes low-tech and bio-sourced solutions — notably natural jute fiber composites as an alternative to glass fiber — serving the general public and partner communities in France and Bangladesh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Materials Research

NAICS

Nonwoven Fabric Mills (313230)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace & Defense Technical Textiles (Ballistic/Parachute/Radar-Absorbing/Composites Reinforcement) (IMAOADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Recycled Textile Compounding & Nonwoven Reprocessing (Insulation/Felts/Geotextiles) (IMAOAMAH), Sustainable & Certified Materials (Organic, Recycled, Traceable) (CRAAAMAK)

Keywords

• Natural fiber composites
• Low-tech innovation
• Jute fiber materials
• Bio-sourced materials
• Open-source documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Concarneau

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gold of Bengal was a French non-profit association that researched and developed bio-sourced composite materials using natural jute fiber as an alternative to glass fiber, alongside open-source documentation of low-technology solutions. It ran pedagogical programs (workshops, enterprise training, conferences) and produced documentary content to promote useful, accessible, and sustainable technical solutions. Experimental sailing vessels (Tara Tari, Gold of Bengal, Nomade des Mers) served as proof-of-concept platforms for the research.

Product overview

Gold of Bengal was a non-profit association (2013-2020) focused on researching, developing, and promoting useful and durable technical solutions that valorize local resources and know-how. Its core work centered on natural jute fiber composite materials research (Jute Lab) and low-tech innovation documentation. The association produced documentary content and educational programs while operating experimental vessels (Tara Tari, Gold of Bengal, Nomade des Mers) as proof-of-concept platforms. In 2020, the association rebranded as Low-tech Lab to consolidate its activities under a unified mission of collaborative low-tech valorization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Documentary Film Production Production of documentary content about low-tech innovation and the association's expeditions, including a 52-minute film broadcast on the Thalassa marine documentary channel and a documentary series on ARTE.
• Jute Fiber Composite Materials Research and development of bio-sourced composite materials using natural jute fiber as an alternative to energy-intensive and polluting glass fiber, with optimized formulations developed for various applications.
• Low-tech Solutions Documentation Open-source documentation and research on low-technology solutions that are simple, low-cost, and energy-efficient, developed collaboratively and shared for widespread adoption via the wiki.lowtechlab.org platform.
• Pedagogical Programs Educational programs including a pedagogical program, enterprise program, workshops, training sessions, and conferences designed to transmit knowledge about low-tech innovations and sustainable technical solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• First 100% natural fiber reinforced boat (Gold of Bengal)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association WatevercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Marc Van Peteghem and Yves Marre. Association Watever helped launch the Jute Lab project and provided support for developing applications of jute fiber composite materials.
• CPHDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal philanthopic institution in Bangladesh that helped establish the jute fiber production chain. CPHD supported the development of composite material applications and production facilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bcomp: Swiss company developing natural fiber composites (flax-based) for automotive, sports equipment, and luxury applications. Directly comparable to Gold of Bengal's jute fiber composite R&D with broader commercial deployment in motorsport and mobility OEMs.
• GreenBoats: German boatbuilder using natural fiber composites (flax, bio-resins) to construct marine vessels. Directly comparable application of natural fiber composites in boat building, mirroring Gold of Bengal's namesake vessel concept and proof-of-concept approach.

Emerging players

• Lineat Materials: UK-based company producing aligned natural fiber composites from flax for performance applications including automotive and sports goods. Overlapping technology approach to Gold of Bengal's jute composite R&D with stronger near-term commercial traction.
• Composites Evolution: UK-based company producing natural fiber reinforcements and composite materials (including flax and jute) for automotive, sports, and industrial applications. Overlapping natural fiber composite material focus with Gold of Bengal's Jute Lab work.
• EcoTechnilin: French company producing natural fiber nonwoven mats and composites (flax, jute, kenaf) for automotive, construction, and industrial applications. Closely overlapping natural fiber composite material focus with Gold of Bengal's R&D and operating in the same French ecosystem.
• Ecovative Design: US-based bio-materials company using mycelium and agricultural residues to create sustainable alternatives to plastics, foams, and packaging. Adjacent bio-based materials R&D with similar sustainability positioning and customer-base overlap in packaging and consumer goods.

Others

• Open Source Ecology: US non-profit developing open-source industrial machines and low-tech solutions for distributed manufacturing. Comparable open-source, low-tech innovation mission to Low-tech Lab's documentation platform, though focused on machinery rather than materials.
• Low-tech Magazine: Online publication focused on low-tech solutions, appropriate technology, and sustainable design. Comparable knowledge-sharing and low-tech advocacy mission to Low-tech Lab, though operating as media rather than R&D.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goldofbengal
• Facebookfacebook.com/jutedoit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GOLD OF BENGAL