Rachel Maranhão

Demand for sustainable materials is growing, but supply is limited, creating a challenge for companies looking to reduce their environmental impact. We know that 78% of a fashion brand's carbon footprint comes from the production of the raw materials used in its collections. The production of leather, both animal and synthetic, involves toxic and carcinogenic inputs that pose risks to the environment and workers. According to the Material Innovation Initiative report, 95% of major players in the global fashion industry are actively seeking sustainable materials. In addition, a Nielsen survey shows that 73% of global consumers are actively looking for sustainably sourced products.

To meet this need and stimulate the market, Rachel Albuquerque Maranhão was one of the founders of MABE Bio, a biotechnology startup that converts plants into new materials such as biocouples, bioplastics, and biocomposites. These materials are unique in the marketplace because they are completely plant-based, biodegradable, toxic-free, and plastic-free. 

The technology developed and patented by the company has enabled it to achieve competitive prices and high margins. MABE Bio's mission is to change the current production paradigm and promote regeneration through consumption itself. One example is the production of bovine leather, which is linked to deforestation in the Amazon, resulting in the destruction of more than 3,000 football fields of land every day. The solution proposed by MABE Bio is unique in that it directly addresses the problem of deforestation by using the fruit of the angico tree, a non-commercial tree that is abundant and present in five Brazilian biomes.

Rachel holds a degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and has worked in the shipping and financial markets for eight years. She participated in the Business Acceleration Program for founders of ANTLER, a Singapore venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups, where she met the other founder of MABE Bio.