What Zerolab Firenze does

Zerolab Firenze is a circular-fashion hub operating as the laboratory division of Recopel Srl Società Benefit, an Italian private limited benefit corporation headquartered in Scandicci near Florence. It positions itself as the first hub in Italy dedicated to circular fashion, organized around the upcycling of deadstock leather and textiles sourced from Italian luxury maisons into new accessories, prototypes, and finished goods. The operating model combines five customer-facing service lines: a coworking laboratory equipped with professional leatherworking machinery and deadstock material access; a workshop and training program offering courses, team-building, and school programs in Italian and English; a Design Studio providing consulting, CAD modeling, prototyping, and tech-pack creation for brands globally; a Gadget line producing sustainable corporate merchandise for the corporate, travel, and hospitality sectors; and a DIY Kit line (Kit Base, Kit Pro) sold through the affiliated Zerow e-commerce platform. The business is tightly coupled with Zerow, the marketplace that resells recovered fabrics and leathers, giving Zerolab a privileged material-supply channel within the Recopel corporate umbrella.

Go-to-market is hybrid and direct: enterprise inquiries are captured through a contact form segmented by service line (Coworking, Design Studio, Workshop, Gadget); consumer and SMB bookings are self-serve via Eventbrite; and physical products are distributed through the Zerow storefront. Pricing is published and granular: coworking is offered at €60/day, a 10-day pack at €450 (€45/day), and a monthly dedicated-desk subscription at €350/month. Named enterprise customers include luxury brands Ami Milano and designer Victor Hart. Distribution and marketing rely on the company website, Eventbrite listings, Google Drive-hosted workshop catalogs, and institutional partnerships with Camera di Commercio di Firenze, Ministero dell'Ambiente, Regione Toscana, and Comune di Scandicci, alongside collaborations with Italian and American schools. The publishing team identifies five individuals — Gabriele Rorandelli, Cassandra Kane, Francesca Patania, Roberta Masetti, Stefania Briguglio — without disclosed formal titles. The market is framed by Tuscany's approximately 700 million kg of annual leather waste, which the company cites as the addressable supply-side opportunity.

Name

Zerolab Firenze

Legal name

Recopel Srl Società Benefit

Website

https://zerolabfirenze.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zerolab Firenze is an Italian circular-fashion hub that upcycles deadstock leather and textiles from luxury maisons into prototypes, accessories, and DIY kits, serving artisans, designers, luxury brands, and corporate merchandise clients through coworking, workshops, design services, and e-commerce under Recopel Srl Società Benefit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular fashion and leather upcycling services

NAICS

Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (3169), Industrial Design Services (541420), Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing (316)

SIC

Leather & Leather Products (3100)

akta.pro primary industry

Wallets, Small Leather Goods & Accessories Manufacturing (IMAOAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Small Leather Goods (Wallets, Cardholders, Keyholders) (CRAKAEAB)

Keywords

• Circular fashion hub
• Leather upcycling services
• Artisan coworking space
• Leather prototyping studio
• Corporate eco merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Scandicci

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Coworking space rental: Day passes and monthly subscriptions for equipped workstations in an artisan leatherworking laboratory with professional machinery
2. Workshop and training services: Practical and theoretical courses on leathercraft and circular economy, including group workshops, 1:1 sessions with master artisans, team building for companies, and school programs in Italian or English
3. Design studio services: Full-service design and prototyping for leather accessories including initial consulting, material research, CAD modeling, prototyping, and tech pack creation for brands worldwide
4. Corporate eco-gadgets and merchandising: Sustainable corporate merchandise and gifts made from upcycled deadstock materials for corporate, travel, and hospitality sectors
5. DIY leather crafting kits: Artisan Base and Pro kits for leatherworking with detailed instructions, pattern templates, and scrap material boxes for hobbyists

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zerolab Firenze operates a circular fashion hub in Scandicci (near Florence) that upcycles deadstock leather and textile remnants from Italian luxury maisons into new products and prototypes. It delivers four core services: a Design Studio for leather accessory prototyping, an equipped Coworking space for artisans and designers, hands-on Workshops on leathercraft and circular economy, and corporate Gadget/merchandising production. A consumer line of DIY leather crafting kits (Kit Fai da Te) is distributed through the affiliated Zerow e-commerce platform.

Product overview

Zerolab Firenze is the first circular fashion hub in Italy, offering a multi-service ecosystem centered around sustainable leather craftsmanship. The core offering includes: a Design Studio for brand development and product prototyping; Coworking spaces with professional leatherworking equipment and deadstock material access; Workshop programs for skills training; Gadget/Corporate Merchandising for eco-sustainable corporate products; and Kit Fai da Te DIY kits for hands-on leather crafting. All services focus on upcycling deadstock materials from prestigious Italian fashion houses, with operations based in Scandicci near Florence, Tuscany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zerow: The platform that resells recovered fabrics and leathers; Zerolab is the annexed laboratory where materials take new life through workshops, design projects, and artisanal experimentation.

Products and services

• Design Studio Full-service leather accessory design and prototyping: initial consulting, material research, CAD modeling, prototyping, and tech pack creation for brands and designers worldwide.
• Coworking Artisanal coworking space with workbenches, professional leatherworking machinery (cutting, sewing, skiving, spray equipment), 600 Mbps fiber WiFi, printing, lockers, and access to deadstock materials from Italian luxury maisons, available as daily passes, multi-day bundles, or monthly subscriptions.
• Workshop Practical and theoretical courses in leather craftsmanship and circular economy, including group workshops, 1:1 sessions with master artisans, school programs (Italian and American), corporate team building, and Aperibag sessions.
• Gadget (Corporate Merchandising) Eco-sustainable corporate merchandise and gifts designed and produced using upcycled deadstock materials from Italian luxury brands, including travel and hospitality products, with prototyping, sampling, and Made-in-Tuscany production for the corporate, travel, and hospitality sectors.
• Kit Fai da Te (DIY Kit) Hands-on leather crafting kits for beginners and professionals, including KIT Base (card holder, AirPods case, or phone case) and KIT Pro (two crossbody bags), with detailed instructions, fabric remnant boxes, and additional pattern templates, sold through the affiliated Zerow e-commerce platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transforms 700+ million kg of leather waste annually in Tuscany into new products

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZerowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZerolab is the laboratory annexed to Zerow, the platform that resells recovered fabrics and leathers. Zerolab gives new life to materials through workshops, design projects, and artisan experimentation. Zerow serves as the e-commerce channel for Zerolab's DIY kits.
• Camera di Commercio di FirenzecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partner collaborating with Zerolab for circular fashion initiatives in the Florence region
• Ministero dell'AmbientecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Ministry of Environment supporting Zerolab's circular economy mission in fashion
• Regione ToscanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTuscany Regional Government partner supporting circular fashion initiatives in the region
• Comune di ScandicciminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal municipality hosting Zerolab laboratory near Florence
• Recopel Srl Società BenefitcoreOthersParent company of Zerolab operating as a Benefit Corporation, managing the circular economy hub

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• The New Black: B2B marketplace for surplus luxury fabrics and leathers, connecting fashion houses with designers seeking deadstock. Comparable as an enabling platform in the circular luxury materials value chain that Zerolab and Zerow participate in.
• Zerow: Sister platform to Zerolab under Recopel Srl Società Benefit, reselling recovered fabrics and leathers and serving as the DTC channel for Zerolab's DIY kits. Related as an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, sharing material supply and ownership.
• Vestiaire Collective: Global luxury fashion resale and recommerce platform. Comparable as an adjacent enabler of the circular fashion economy that channels pre-owned luxury goods back into market, related thematically to Zerolab's circular positioning.

Direct peers

• Elvis & Kresse: UK-based luxury accessories brand that upcycles decommissioned materials (fire hoses, leather offcuts) into high-end bags and accessories. Directly comparable as a circular luxury leather goods maker that turns industrial waste into premium products, mirroring Zerolab's upcycling value proposition.
• Nona Source: LVMH's digital platform reselling deadstock fabrics and leathers from its maisons to designers and brands. Closely comparable to Zerow — Zerolab's sister platform — in providing curated upcycling material supply to the fashion design community.
• Atelier Bingo: Italian circular fashion studio that transforms deadstock textile materials into garments and accessories through artisanal production. Comparable to Zerolab in its Made-in-Italy circularity model and its use of luxury waste streams for new product creation.
• Atelier des Matières (Hermès): Hermès's circular materials program that reworks leather offcuts into new objects and prototypes. Comparable as a brand-anchored circular leather atelier that uses luxury deadstock, the same supply category Zerolab accesses through Zerow.

Emerging players

• Re/Done: US-based fashion brand built around upcycled and reworked denim and apparel from deadstock and vintage stock. Comparable as an emerging circular-fashion-native brand proving commercial demand for upcycled luxury-grade product.

Broad incumbents

• Rino Mastrotto Group: One of Italy's largest leather manufacturers and tanners, serving global luxury and automotive brands from the Veneto/Tuscany corridor. Comparable as a scaled incumbent leather industry player with growing sustainability initiatives, sitting one tier upstream of Zerolab's circular positioning.
• Bonaudo: Italian leather manufacturer specializing in premium finished leather for global fashion houses, with sustainability programmes around traceability and reduced-impact tanning. Comparable as a broad incumbent Italian leather producer that could partner with or compete against Zerolab's circular sourcing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zerolab-firenze

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Zerolab Firenze