EP 442 - Matereal CEO on Decarbonizing and Detoxifying the Plastic Supply Chain
Aug 16, 2024
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Jacqueline Ros Amable, the CEO and co-founder of Matereal, is revolutionizing the plastic supply chain with a focus on sustainability. She discusses the urgent need to decarbonize and detoxify plastics, revealing innovative solutions like the renewable resources-based Polaris product. Jacqueline emphasizes the importance of effective go-to-market strategies for startups and the role of diverse teams in product development. She also addresses the challenges of creating eco-friendly textile innovations, highlighting the need for transparency and education in climate tech.
The urgent need to decarbonize the plastic supply chain is underscored by rising dependency on plastics, now 15% of global oil demand.
Diversity in product development is essential as it fosters innovative solutions and integrates various perspectives critical for climate justice.
Deep dives
Mission to Decarbonize the Plastic Supply Chain
The company is dedicated to decarbonizing and detoxifying the plastic supply chain, particularly focusing on polyurethane, which constitutes a significant part of everyday products. Currently, plastics account for about 15% of global oil and gas demand, projected to rise to 30% by 2030, showcasing an urgent need to address this dependency. Their initial product, Polaris, is a non-isocyanate polyurethane alternative, crafted from agricultural waste. This innovative approach aims to provide a safer, renewable source that can be recycled or biodegraded, ultimately minimizing toxic chemical exposure and environmental impact.
Overcoming Early Stage Challenges in Startups
Jacqueline shares valuable insights from her experiences as a founder, particularly emphasizing the importance of a well-defined go-to-market strategy. In her previous venture, she faced challenges related to channel strategy, which proved to be costly due to initial misalignment with market needs. Learning from this experience, she prioritized understanding deeply the rationale behind their current channel decisions. Furthermore, she highlighted that organizational structure is critical for a startup's success, advocating for clarity in hiring practices and team roles to sustain growth.
Leveraging AI for Product Development
The company strategizes to incorporate AI in their product development processes to accelerate time-to-market for sustainable alternatives. By focusing on textile coatings and adhesives, they aim to disrupt conventional plastic usage in various fashion and consumer goods. Their collaboration with industry experts, including a former R&D leader at Patagonia, bolsters their market understanding and product refinement. The goal is to replace harmful plastics in popular products without compromising sustainability, thereby fostering a shift in the supply chain toward safer alternatives.
The Importance of Diversity in Climate Tech
Diversity is pivotal in product management and climate tech, as it enables a holistic approach to problem-solving and product development. Recognizing one's own biases is crucial in creating inclusive environments that foster innovative solutions. Jacqueline illustrates how different perspectives from various stakeholders, including those from marginalized communities, must be integrated into the decision-making processes, particularly in climate justice. By advocating for greater representation, she emphasizes the necessity of considering the socio-environmental impacts of supply chains and promoting fairness in the push for decarbonization.
What does it take to decarbonize and detoxify the plastic supply chain? The scale and urgency of the transformation required to fight climate change has never been more clear. Building hardware and software products, acquiring the funding and creating a diverse community to enhance talent capacity and to drive innovation, is essential to tackling this global environmental crisis. In this podcast, host Silicon Valley Bank (a division of First Citizens Bank) Climate Tech & Sustainability SVP Maggie Wong will be interviewing Matereal CEO and Co-Founder Jacqueline Ros Amable to discuss decarbonizing and detoxifying the plastic supply chain, the importance of Go-To-Market strategy and organizational structure in growing a start-up, as well as how proactive management of a diverse group of team members and stakeholders contributes to the success of product development.
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