We want to highlight all the fantastic work that is happening across the SHIFT Ecosystem and spur further opportunities for collaboration and success. This month’s spotlighted business is BioTwin:
This month’s newsletter featured a member spotlight. We want to highlight all the fantastic work that is happening across the SHIFT Ecosystem and spur further opportunities for collaboration and success. This month’s spotlighted business is BioTwin:
BioTwin started as an idea in a sustainability accelerator two years ago, with a mission to cut carbon in construction. Since then, we’ve been busy—developing a breakthrough biocomposite material, building prototypes, and proving that hemp-based wall studs can match steel in strength while slashing carbon emissions! Along the way, we’ve secured grant funding, teamed up with industry experts, and refined our manufacturing process. Now, we’re gearing up to scale production and get our studs into real buildings. The goal? To make sustainable construction the norm, not the exception.
We’ve recently completed fire resistance testing with BRE, showing our hemp-based wall stud can achieve up to 60 and 120 minutes of fire resistance with fire rated wallboards. Structural testing also confirmed that our stud can reach up to 3.7m in non-loadbearing partitions. Next up, we’re conducting acoustic tests to validate our sound insulation benefits. Meanwhile, Imperial College London has completed a life cycle assessment comparing our stud to steel, where it finds that we are 28% lower in carbon to steel studs. We will also be opening our seed fundraising round in March, so busy warming up investors.
We’re looking for partners to help bring sustainable construction to life! Pilot projects are a top priority—we’re seeking contractors, property developers, and design teams interested in trailing our hemp-based wall studs in projects with at least 50m of linear wall space. This is a great opportunity to test a low-carbon alternative to steel.
We’re also raising £2.6m for our seed round to scale production and certification. If you’re an investor passionate about decarbonising construction, we’d love to connect.
If you are already a member, then use our directory here to find organisations, including BioTwin, to connect with.
If you aren’t yet a full member (agreed to our T&Cs), then sign up here – It doesn’t take long at all!
If you are a member and want to be featured next month, signup here!
