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§ Private Profile · 1501 Harbor Bay Pkwy Ste 200 Alameda, CA 94502 United States
Biocatalyst solutions for carbon-negative textiles in fashion industry.
Rubi Laboratories creates biobased textiles by transforming atmospheric carbon dioxide into cellulose fibers. The company employs a proprietary enzymatic process to capture CO2 emissions, producing high-quality textile materials with minimal water and land use. This method offers a carbon-negative alternative for fabric production, providing a sustainable solution for the apparel industry.
Founded in 2021 by sisters Neeka Mashouf and Dr. Leila Mashouf, Rubi Laboratories was inspired by how trees naturally synthesize cellulose from carbon dioxide. Their scientific expertise enabled replication of this biological mechanism, pioneering a novel manufacturing approach that reduces textile production's environmental impact.
Rubi's carbon-negative textiles serve the apparel sector, enabling brands to integrate sustainable materials. The company envisions symbiotic supply chains where human prosperity harmonizes with ecological health. Rubi's mission is to redefine industrial practices, contributing to ecological balance through advanced material science and regenerative manufacturing.
Rubi Laboratories has raised $17.2M across 4 funding rounds.
Key people at Rubi Laboratories.
Rubi Laboratories has raised $17.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Rubi Laboratories has raised $17.2M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.5M Other Equity in March 2026.
Key people at Rubi Laboratories.
Rubi Laboratories is a synthetic biology startup founded in 2020 that develops carbon-negative textiles by converting CO2 emissions into cellulose-based materials using enzyme-powered processes, primarily targeting the fashion industry.[1][2][3][4] The company serves apparel brands like Reformation, GANNI, H&M, Nuuly, and Patagonia, solving the fashion sector's massive environmental footprint—responsible for significant CO2 emissions, deforestation, and resource depletion—by producing textiles that capture ~20 bathtubs of CO2 per batch (18 avoided, 2 captured), use virtually no water or land, and biodegrade at end-of-life.[2][3][4][5] With $13.5M in venture funding, federal grants over $1.2M, global brand pilots, and expansion plans into packaging, building materials, and food/beverage, Rubi demonstrates strong growth momentum toward symbiotic, planet-positive manufacturing.[2][5][6]
Rubi Laboratories was founded in 2020 (incorporated August, federally registered September) by twin sisters Neeka and Leila Mashouf, who blend scientific expertise with fashion industry exposure from their Northern California upbringing near redwoods and coasts.[1][2][6] Neeka specialized in materials science and sustainability, while Leila focused on bioengineering for human health; both began research careers at age 15 in leading institutes and spent summers immersed in their family's fashion world, learning from designers and manufacturers.[1] Devastated by fashion's environmental toll, they invented and prototyped their CO2-to-textile technology in a public biohacking lab, launching Rubi in 2021 to pioneer "The Symbiotic Era" of manufacturing that restores ecosystems.[1][4]
Rubi rides the wave of synthetic biology and carbon capture utilization (CCU) to decarbonize high-impact industries, particularly fashion—the third-largest CO2-emitting supply chain—amid rising regulatory pressures like EU carbon borders and consumer demands for sustainability.[2][4][5] Timing is ideal post-2020 climate urgency, with biotech advances enabling industrial-scale enzyme processes that traditional methods can't match, aligning with trends in circular economies and bio-based materials (e.g., competitors like Bolt Threads).[3] Rubi influences the ecosystem by partnering with brands to scale planet-positive supply chains, inspiring "symbiotic" manufacturing that cleans air, preserves resources, and harmonizes human prosperity with ecology, potentially accelerating adoption across textiles and beyond.[1][4][5]
Rubi is poised to expand from fashion pilots to commercial production in adjacent sectors like packaging and building materials, leveraging its $13.5M funding, grants, and patents for industrial scaling.[2][3][6] Trends like advancing enzyme tech, stricter emissions regs, and biofabrication investments will propel growth, potentially positioning Rubi as a leader in carbon-negative materials amid climate tech's boom. Its influence may evolve from niche innovator to supply chain transformer, redefining manufacturing as restorative—turning CO2 from foe to feedstock, much like the sisters' vision born from redwoods and runways.
Rubi Laboratories has raised $17.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Rubi Laboratories's investors include Kevin Eggers, FH One Investments, CMPC Ventures, H&M Group, Talis Capital, Understorey Ventures, Erwin Gianchandani, Alexander Lorestani, James Reinhart, Manny Mashouf, Nicolaj Reffstrup, Rei Wang.
