Radiant Matter

Radiant Matter is a material innovation company founded by Elissa Brunato in 2020, later joined by Dr. Cyan Williams as CTO. The London-based startup develops sustainable alternatives to traditional embellishments and colorants, aiming to reduce microplastic pollution from the textile industry and beyond.

Brunato, the CEO, has over a decade of experience in the fashion industry, working in design and production for high-end brands, where she witnessed the environmental impact of material choices. This experience, combined with a Material Futures MA from University of the Arts London, led her to establish Radiant Matter to create aesthetically pleasing materials that are also environmentally responsible. Dr. Williams brings critical technical expertise with a PhD in Photonic Materials from the University of Cambridge, focusing on scaling up the technology.

The company's core technology leverages cellulose, an abundant plant-based material, to create structural color, which is inspired by natural examples like peacock feathers and butterfly wings. This process refracts light off the material's nanostructure to produce vibrant, shimmering colors without using plastics, pigments, metals, or minerals. The resulting materials are biodegradable, non-toxic, and have a lower carbon footprint.

Radiant Matter's flagship product is the BioSequin™, a biodegradable and plastic-free sequin. The company operates on a B2B model, targeting the fashion industry first. A significant milestone was a partnership with fashion designer Stella McCartney, who used the BioSequin™ to create a jumpsuit featured in American Vogue in April 2023, worn by model Cara Delevigne. This collaboration demonstrated the material's viability in high-fashion. The company has since raised £1.2 million in a pre-seed funding round to expand operations, R&D, and manufacturing capabilities. While textiles are the initial market, Radiant Matter plans to expand into other sectors that use color and shimmer effects, such as cosmetics, packaging, and automotive industries.

Keywords: materials science, biomaterials, structural color, sustainable fashion, circular economy, BioSequin, microplastic alternatives, cellulose technology, sustainable textiles, biodegradable materials, non-toxic colorants, material innovation, fashion technology, embellishments, glitter alternative, Elissa Brunato, Cyan Williams, Stella McCartney collaboration, nanotechnology, green technology