Modern Meadow and HELLER-LEDER Launch INNOVERA™ Europe to Advance Sustainable Material Innovation at Scale

Joint venture establishes a dedicated European entity focused on developing and manufacturing INNOVERA™ for premium segments

NUTLEY, N.J., Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Meadow, a leader in bio‑design, together with premium leather tannery HELLER-LEDER, today announced the formation of INNOVERA™ Europe, a joint venture that will bring large‑scale production of its next‑generation sustainable material directly to Europe. The new entity marks a major milestone in the global growth of INNOVERA™ — masterfully engineered to replicate the look and feel of collagen found in leather — enabling Modern Meadow to better serve premium automotive, apparel, interiors and adjacent applications.

"By partnering on this venture with HELLER-LEDER, we're accelerating the future of sustainable materials through a model designed for global scalability," said Modern Meadow CEO David Williamson, PhD. "INNOVERA™ Europe allows us to meet growing regional demand while driving faster innovation that delivers real value for brands, tanneries and suppliers. This would not be possible without our team's dedication and our partners' collaborations, whose expertise and commitment have helped get us to this pivotal moment."

Modern Meadow's global expansion and growing partnership with HELLER-LEDER brings new and accelerated innovation opportunities, including the development of performance suede and high-quality crust for full-grain alternatives. INNOVERA™ is supplied to tanneries as Dry White, a semi-finished material that bypasses the most resource-intensive early stages of traditional leather processing. European production of Dry White is expected to begin in late 2026 at a new state‑of‑the‑art facility designed to meet regional demand with precision, supply chain resilience and sustainability at its core.

With this new facility, global customers will benefit from faster product development cycles and enhanced quality and consistency. Increased production capacity closer to European customers will simplify logistics and streamline tariff considerations. Tanneries will gain reliable, scalable access to Dry White, including ready-made crusts for finishing, along with improved proximity to European tanning hubs and a more diversified, derisked supply chain. Suppliers will experience more predictable demand, with European‑based partners seeing expanded opportunities and non‑European suppliers having improved access to European production.

This expansion reflects a broader strategic shift in Modern Meadow's operating model. Throughout 2026, the company will gradually transition key operational functions to Europe while ensuring all customer orders continue to be fulfilled without interruption. This evolution strengthens Modern Meadow's ability to scale production, elevate quality standards and advance material applications for global customers.

"INNOVERA™ Europe represents a powerful step forward for tanning globally," said HELLER-LEDER CEO Frank Fiedler. "By producing this next‑generation material in Europe, we gain faster access to high‑quality Dry White inputs, reduce supply chain complexity and strengthen our ability to serve customers looking for sustainable, high‑performance solutions that integrate seamlessly into existing leather workflows."

About Modern Meadow & INNOVERA™
INNOVERA™ is the transformative material crafted using plant-based proteins, biopolymers and recycled rubber, resulting in more than 80% renewable carbon content. Completely animal-free, INNOVERA™ is masterfully engineered to replicate the look and feel of the collagen found in leather. Developed by the bio-design company Modern Meadow (Nutley, New Jersey, USA), INNOVERA™ redefines what's possible across the automotive, footwear, furniture and fashion accessories spaces, creating high-performance products with a lower environmental impact. Versatile, functional, immediately scalable and adaptable to any process, INNOVERA™ flows seamlessly with creativity: a material that works in perfect harmony with the legacy of tanneries and brands, without compromising on quality or performance. For more information, visit innovera-world.com or follow the company on Instagram and LinkedIn.

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