Circular Biotech Startup Mycofoundry is Growing Furniture from Mushrooms

A studio based in Vancouver is building a business around growing furniture rather than manufacturing it.

Mycofoundry combines a “deep knowledge of spatial design” with modern bio-technology to build “enduring furnishings in partnership with nature.”

The B.C. startup creates its products out of mycelium, which it describes as “an organism rooted in circularity.”

More specifically, mycelium is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of fine white filaments.

“At MycoFoundry, we grow mycelium on forestry and agricultural waste like sawdust, turning an overlooked material into a valuable product,” the bio-fabrication company explains.

Mycelium composites can be grown into molds, allowing for custom shapes and designs that are not easily achieved with traditional wood or metal. In the moulds, mycelia propagate, eventually creating solid objects. This method enables furniture with complex geometries yet a reduced need for assembly and joints—weak points in traditional furniture.

“We envision a future where beauty and sustainability coexist, allowing you to contribute to a healthier planet without compromise,” Mycrofoundry states online.

Mycrofoundry’s own roots hail from the University of British Columbia’s School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, or SALA.

“In contrast to the relentless cycle of consumption characteristic of contemporary construction, mycelium biocomposites offer the prospect that conventional carbon-intensive construction methods could be replaced one day with silently growing buildings,” wrote Joseph Dahmen of SALA, who says Mycofoundry is innovating “at the intersection of materials, building technology, mycology, and sustainable architecture.”

This month, the Canadian innovator will stand among other startups highlighted at this year’s Venture Showcase hosted by UBC.

The annual event features teams from across UBC’s innovation pipeline, ranging from their “Ones-to-Watch” ventures who are at the outset of their journeys in incubation, to their “Ready-to-Raise” HATCH Venture Builder teams gaining traction in the accelerator stage.

The 2024 Venture Showcase takes place on November 26th at UBC Robson Square.