• Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), a technology company that develops textiles using recycled plants and natural fibers, has partnered with New York-based vegan footwear brand Brave GentleMan to launch the latter’s gender-neutral shoe collection made from NFW’s leather alternative “Mirum”.

• The shoe collection features existing shoes such as a boot, an Oxford shoe, and a tasseled loafer remade using Mirum materials in addition to a new “sculpture-like” sneaker made from sustainably sourced rubber (outsole) and natural cork (insole) that also comes with a sock made from waste. The collection is expected to launch this fall and is available to pre-order starting from USD 290 up to USD 350.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: NFW has continued to partner with leading brands to commercialize Mirum across various applications. Brave GentleMan is the latest to its list of partnerships which includes  Ralph Lauren , Bellroy , Motherson, Richemont, and Allbirds. Early this year, the company also raised USD 85 million in Series B funding to scale up production of Mirum to meet demand.</ul>