Myceen, a Tallinn-based company that specialises in mycelium-based building materials, has secured more than €2 million in grants this year, signifying a key milestone in its development. The capital is supported by Enterprise Estonia, Estonian Research Council, German Ministry of Culture, and EIT Climate KIC. It is  intended to help the company bring its carbon-negative materials to market, EU-Startups reports.

About Myceen’s technology

  • Myceen is a cleantech company that focuses on novel materials by combining mushroom mycelium with organic leftovers from other industries. The company addresses the issue of the building industry being one of the world's most wasteful, accounting for roughly 40% of the EU's total carbon dioxide emissions.
  • For this reason, the company employs nature's own intelligence, mycelium. Mycelium is a mushroom's underground root system that may bind loose elements together to form solids. Myceen uses scraps from the forestry and agriculture industries to grow materials and goods. According to a detailed LCA calculation, these materials are carbon-negative due to energy-efficient production and the valorisation of waste from other industries.

  • The company’s products consist of 99% upcycled ingredients with no harmful chemicals used in their production. Over the last year, the company has sent items to over fifteen different countries, including the United States and Singapore, and has been recognised for the quality of its goods.

Financing details

  • In addition to the €2 million of grants, Myceen is advancing its seed investment round of €1-1.5 million.
  • Myceen plans to diversify its activities by establishing a pilot factory to develop industrial production methods for its construction materials. The extension is designed to help the company's efforts to commercialise mycelium-based goods.
  • In a forthcoming project, Myceen's insulation materials will be evaluated in a prototype house designed in partnership with the Timber Architecture Research Centre (PAKK). The test is to be completed in the autumn of 2024 and will compare the performance of mycelium insulation to conventional materials, providing data to inform future research and adoption of the technology.

As Myceen improves its mycelium technology, the company has the potential to contribute to continuing efforts to promote more sustainable construction methods. With financial support and plans for increased manufacturing, Myceen is set to investigate the potential of mycelium-based materials in the building industry.