London, 18
December 2024
BSF Enterprise
PLC
3DBT Ltd
Secures Prestigious Northern Accelerator Growth Support
Grant
BSF Enterprise PLC ("BSF" or the "Company"), a
leading innovator in tissue-engineered materials, is pleased to
announce that its subsidiary 3D Bio-Tissues Ltd (3DBT) has been
awarded a £50,000 Northern Accelerator Growth Support Grant. This
funding will be instrumental in advancing 3DBT's groundbreaking
lab-grown leather technology, transitioning it from lab-scale
development to small-scale manufacturing, and preparing for future
commercialisation.
The grant recognises the significant potential
of 3DBT's scaffold-free, tissue engineering technology to deliver
disruptive innovation while addressing critical environmental and
ethical challenges in the global leather market, currently valued
at USD 32.26 billion in 2022 and projected to grow to USD 47.89
billion by 2031. With scalability, customisability, and
environmental advantages over traditional and bio-based
alternatives, 3DBT's technology is uniquely positioned to meet the
growing demand for sustainable, high-quality leather
products.
The Northern Accelerator Growth Support Grant
will fund the engagement of external resources to advance
activities essential for transitioning the Company's lab-grown
leather technology from lab-scale to small-scale manufacturing and
preparing for future commercialisation. To achieve these
objectives, the grant will support market research to identify
high-growth opportunities, define revenue streams, and align
commercial efforts with key sectors such as fashion and automotive.
Central to these efforts is the creation of a comprehensive
technology roadmap. This roadmap will define the critical steps to
establish a scalable production process, detailing the entire
production lifecycle and addressing technical risks. It will also
provide a clear and actionable plan for setting up a pilot plant-a
pivotal milestone in bridging the gap between innovation and
commercial scalability.
Northern Accelerator's growth support programme
is funded as part of the In-TUNE project, a collaboration
comprising Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria universities and CPI
(Centre for Process Innovation). It is part-funded by the UK
Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by
North of Tyne Combined Authority and Durham County Council. The
growth support programme offers spinouts from partner universities
grants to deliver projects that will trigger or accelerator growth
in turnover and/or employment
Dr. Che Connon, CEO and Founder of 3DBT,
commented: "This grant award is a pivotal moment for 3DBT. It
enables us to accelerate the commercialisation of our lab-grown
leather technology and underscores the growing recognition of its
transformative potential. With this support, we are well-positioned
to deliver a sustainable and scalable alternative to traditional
leather."
3DBT remains dedicated to revolutionising the
leather industry through sustainable innovation and will provide
updates as the roadmap and pilot plant development
progress.
For further enquiries, please
visit www.bsfenterprise.com or contact:
BSF Enterprise
PLC
Geoff Baker - Executive Director
Che Connon - CEO & Director
Shard Capital
(Broker)
Damon Heath
Isabella Pierre
0207 186 9000
0207 186 9927
About BSF
Enterprise PLC BSF Enterprise PLC (BSF)
develops and commercialises cutting-edge tissue-engineered
solutions, including lab-grown leather, cultivated meat, and
corneal repair technologies. By leveraging its proprietary
scaffold-free platform, BSF aims to deliver sustainable
alternatives to traditional materials and meet global demand for
environmentally responsible innovations.
About 3D
Bio-Tissues 3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT)
specialises in the creation of lab-grown tissues using advanced
bioengineering techniques. Its scaffold-free lab-grown leather
technology replicates the composition, texture, and performance of
traditional leather without environmental and ethical drawbacks.
For more information, visit www.3dbiotissues.com.
About Northern
Accelerator Northern Accelerator is an
innovative collaboration between Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria,
Sunderland, Teesside and York Universities. It has transformed
research commercialisation in the North East, helping address
regional imbalance and strengthening the region's knowledge
economy. We support academics and business leaders to create
promising spin-out businesses from their world-leading academic
research. These businesses create high quality jobs and raise
significant investment in the North East and North
Yorkshire.
Northern Accelerator is funded by Research
England's Connecting Capability Fund and the InTUNE partnership
which is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared
Prosperity Fund with the North of Tyne Combined Authority and
Durham County Council.