Learn more about: Hydefy

Meet Rachel Lee, Founding Partner and General Manager of Hydefy, who's challenging conventional leather production methods. Step into a world where fungi and sugarcane waste become luxury handbags that walk the Paris runway with Stella McCartney. 👜

Rachel reveals how an extremophile fungus, discovered in Yellowstone National Park's volcanic hot springs during NASA-funded research, became the foundation for a revolutionary material. This microscopic marvel grows in just 2-3 days and a natural filamentous structure resembling skin, making it the perfect candidate for sustainable leather development. After nearly three years of extensive R&D, this scientific curiosity was transformed into a commercially viable luxury material.

What makes Hydefy particularly compelling is how it carves out a vital "third category" in the materials landscape. Traditional animal leather brings ethical concerns and significant environmental impacts, while most vegan alternatives rely on petroleum-derived PVC or polyurethane with their own environmental drawbacks. Hydefy's fungi-based approach eliminates these compromises, using fermentation and sustainable inputs to create materials that create materials that are durable and stylish without the ecological baggage without the ecological baggage.

The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But Hydefy demonstrates how innovation can address these challenges while delivering premium materials that meet luxury standards. Capable of creating a wide range of looks, from traditional leather to experimental finishes with optical effects resembling oil-and-water surfaces, these materials stand on their own merits, not just as eco-friendly alternatives. ♻️

Discover more about how Hydefy is transforming our apparel world at hydefy.com – because the future of fashion isn't just being designed, it's being grown. 🍄‍🟫✨

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“We built Vinst to help people cook better, together.” 👩‍🍳👨‍🍳

Asaf Glazer, Vinst's CEO and a self-described foodie, shares the app's origin story rooted in pandemic parenting. During COVID lockdowns in New York, watching his three young children consume processed foods pushed him to dedicate kitchen time to fresh, home-cooked meals. This practice sparked an idea: what if technology could make cooking more accessible and enjoyable without introducing more complications?

"Technology today changed dramatically the way that we cook," Glazer explains. "We enter the kitchen with our phone - it's our browser, timer, calculator, chat, notes. We have our cameras. We don't need to be next to our parents for 20 years and learn how to cook."

Yet this technological bounty creates its own problem - a disjointed cooking experience with information scattered across multiple platforms.

Vinst solves this by consolidating everything cooking-related into one minimalist interface. The app extracts recipe information from links, images, and text, organizing everything into searchable, shareable collections.

What makes Vinst particularly fascinating is its approach to food as a form of connection. The app enables collaborative cookbooks where families can preserve traditions and friends can share discoveries.

"We call what we do in the kitchen a food story," Glazer shares. "You bring your inspiration, your smells, the bloggers, mom, whatever to the table and to the kitchen, and you cook as you do it with your oven and your things and your taste... and eventually something different is made that is yours."

Looking ahead, Vinst aims to revolutionize cooking through personalized nutrition. Future updates will incorporate health data from wearables and lab tests to provide weekly feedback on how your cooking affects your wellbeing. The app will suggest recipe modifications based on your health needs, dietary restrictions, budget, and locally available ingredients.

Ready to transform your kitchen experience? Download Vinst and discover how AI can help you cook better, connect deeper, and eat healthier.

Download the app:

Apple Apple Store

Google Play Store

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“We wanted to create the Nespresso of gardening.”

Co-Founder and CEO Alberto Aguilar shares how simplicity meets sustainability with Plantaform’s smart indoor garden. 🪴

🌱 Learn more about Plantaform:

CES 2025: Plantaform Launches Smart Indoor Gardens with Fogponics Technology

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