![]() The cellophane-like cell lining created by our humble bee. Together, we are now working very hard to identify and reverse engineer the nesting material of this bee and design a method of manufacture to produce it at a commercial scale suitable for a number of large industrial applications - from textiles to healthcare and beyond. With backing from Sparkbox Ventures, and Global Day One, I hired Victoria University’s Ferrier Institute. The bee’s material performed better than expected, displaying resistance to heat, naked flame, strong bases and acids like hydrochloric or stomach acid, and even solvents like petrol and water. Could this material provide a viable substitute for plastic-based wrap? After sourcing some of this unique nesting material I had its properties analysed. When I came across an academic article about a species of solitary bee whose nest material was described as ‘cellophane-like’, I was intrigued by the biomimicry potential. It recognises that the sophistication of nature can not only apply to monumental structures, such as in architecture, but also at the molecular level. Biomimicry - applying the sophistication of nature to the world’s wicked problemsīiomimicry is an emerging field of science, which literally translates to ‘copy nature’. Thanks to research undertaken by scientists working with me at Humble Bee, it is clear we can scale a superior, biologically-inspired material that will provide an alternative polymer to industry, as well as improve human health and that of the environment. There is a list of things that we need to substitute from circulation - it is aptly called the SIN list an acronym for “ Substitute it Now” - and its focus is on inspiring innovators to answer the question, ‘what can we substitute these toxic and very useful materials with?’ So, how do we go about resolving the problems they cause? The prevailing question around this problem has been - how do we as consumers stop creating and using so much toxic material?Īs the founder of Humble Bee, I think that it is time to shift the conversation away from the realm of individual responsibility, and instead start solving the problem at its source - by substituting the materials that are used by industry when creating consumer products. They have become integrated into the very fabric of our everyday lives. If you have ever worn a raincoat, used a tent, replaced a laser printer toner, or carried something in a Tupperware container, you have used a high-performing plastic. None of this changes the fact that plastics are incredibly useful. As fish eat it, then so do we - ingesting our own throwaway culture. Our oceans in particular are awash with toxic single-use plastic. Our biological systems are being polluted by hormone-disrupting, gene altering and cancer-causing substances leaching from plastics that are used in the millions of tonnes per year. In New Zealand, it is number five on the list of things we are most concerned about. Pollution caused by plastics is a major problem globally. Greene added: “Sparkbox’s approach to inventory optimisation has the power to bring about massive changes in fashion and home retail, which is clearly behind the times when it comes to technology adoption within merchandising.Hylaeus Bee photo by Veronica Harwood-Stevenson There is immense potential for AI and machine learning to improve profits and reduce waste in retail.”Ĭolin Greene, operational partner, Praetura Ventures, who was formerly Apple’s director of US Consumer Retail, will also join Sparkbox’s board. Lindsay Fisher, co-founder, Sparkbox said: “As a team of former retailers, we’ve seen first-hand how the retail industry is advancing in many areas but falling behind when it comes to making data-driven decisions. ![]() ![]() In addition to protecting retailers from profit losses, the platform’s approach to data also has the potential to aid brand sustainability goals by preventing retailers from over-ordering stock, with wide reports that fashion alone is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions. Its software solutions use machine learning to help retailers make data-driven pricing and inventory decisions, ultimately improving profitability and reducing waste. The funding will help the startup double its team and onboard further fashion, home and seasonal retailers, where dead stock is a constant challenge.įounded in 2019 by Lindsay Fisher, Matthew Wong and Kevin Blackmore, the technology startup is on a mission to help retailers run on data. Manchester-based startup that uses AI and in-depth data to help big brand merchandising teams make better stock buying and pricing decisions, Sparkbox has brought in £1.5 million from Praetura Ventures. ![]()
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