French biotechnology company Faircraft has acquired key assets from VitroLabs, a California-based firm specializing in the development of lab-grown leather. The acquisition includes a portfolio of 30 patents and expands Faircraft’s intellectual property and technological capabilities in preparation for industrial-scale production.
Founded in 2016 in Silicon Valley, VitroLabs was among the first companies to produce viable samples of lab-grown leather targeting the luxury market. Its early research centered on engineering multilayered skin structures and refining cellular cultivation techniques suitable for scalable leather production. Investors in VitroLabs included French luxury conglomerate Kering and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio.
Strengthening market position
The deal strengthens Faircraft’s position within the in vitro leather sector, consolidating nearly a decade of combined R&D between both companies. Faircraft, founded in 2021, has focused on transitioning lab-grown leather from research to industrial application. The integration of VitroLabs’ scientific advances is expected to support Faircraft’s move toward full-scale manufacturing.
“A strategic turning point”
“This acquisition represents a real strategic turning point for us: we are now the leader in the production of high-quality in vitro leather, and will now move into a new phase of industrialisation,” said Haïkel Balti, co-founder and CEO of Faircraft.
Co-founders Balti and César Valencia Gallardo bring backgrounds in material science and cellular biology, respectively. Their firm develops biomaterials positioned for use in high-end fashion and leather goods. Faircraft is supported by a group of international investors including Kindred Ventures, Blue Wire Capital, Cap Horn, Bpifrance, and Entrepreneur First.
Faircraft is based in Paris and operates a laboratory equipped for process optimization and quality control. The company reports collaborations with several luxury brands and plans to establish a full-scale production plant within two years.
Balti continued, “Our objective is clear: to make in vitro leather a mark of prestige for the world’s leading fashion houses.”
