Startup creates world’s first lab-grown leather jewellery

US biotech startup Cultivated Biomaterials has created Angelry, a line of jewellery made with the cultivated leather from the cells of a sanctuary-grazing cow.

Advocates of leather have long argued that it is a byproduct of meat and dairy production, but critics counter that the material should more accurately be viewed as a co-product. In many cases, it is the primary product, and manufacturing it is an energy– and water-intensive process linked to deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Producing a square metre of leather generates 110kg of CO2e, much higher than synthetic and plant-based alternatives. Moreover, animal-derived leather releases lots of health-harming chemicals during tanning.

However, most first-generation vegan leather products use petroleum-derived plastic, which can take up to 500 years to break down and shed microplastics that harm marine life, the waterways, and our health.

For a new generation of companies, the optimal solution lies with cellular agriculture. By using cells from living cows and cultivating them in fermentation tanks, they can produce truly sustainable leather without all the climate and animal welfare questions hanging over it. Some firms have claimed that cell-based leather generates 90% fewer CO2 emissions and 95% less waste, and needs 80% less water to produce.

Joining that group of innovators is Cultivated Biomaterials, a startup based in Raleigh, North Carolina. It has created the world’s first line of lab-grown leather jewellery, called Angelry, and will next month begin a crowdfunding drive on Kickstarter to bring its products to the market.

“Our patent-pending platform technology (Plant-based cell culture substrates; WO2025015242) enables us to harmlessly grow cultivated leather from the skin cells of a sanctuary grazing cow named Angel,” said a spokesperson. “Meanwhile, Angel is lovingly cared for at Sweet Farm sanctuary in NY. Our cultivated leather is grown using plant-based processes and vegetable tanned and finished using a nontoxic, plastic-free process.

“On September 9, 2025, our founder Dr George Engelmayr is launching a Kickstarter campaign to bring cultivated leather directly to customers.”