Perth startup Uluu has signed a funded partnership with Norwegian outdoor brand Norrøna to make waterproof, windproof clothing from seaweed. The first items are expected in stores in late 2027.
This partnership is the first publicly announced textile collaboration for Uluu, which aims to replace petroleum-based synthetics with biodegradable alternatives. The project also pushes the company beyond simpler components into more technically demanding applications.
Both companies will spend 2027 working on and testing fabrics and finished garments. A small commercial range is targeted for late 2027 or early 2028.
Uluu co-founder and co-CEO Julia Reisser did not disclose the value of the deal. She confirmed the funding would be spread over several years and tied to performance milestones.
The two firms say they share an interest in marine conservation and outdoor recreation. Reisser stated that they felt very connected when they went to Norway and met the CEO and the team there.
Norrøna CEO Jorgen Jorgensen said the partnership could change the materials used in outdoor and recreational clothing, and in other industries. If the companies can make it work, he said, it would be the biggest shift in materials in the world.
Fermenting Seaweed Into Plastic Alternatives
Uluu, founded in 2021, ferments seaweed to produce a biodegradable material that can stand in for petroleum-based plastics. Buttons, packaging, and textiles are all targets.
The seaweed comes from Indonesia, where the company partners with growers and WWF on certification and traceability. It’s shipped to Western Australia, where the sugars are extracted and bacteria ferment them into PHAs, or polyhydroxyalkanoates.
The material is pelletised so it can be melted and spun into fibres with properties close to those of polyester and nylon. Uluu says it sheds no persistent microplastics and is recyclable, and compostable in the right conditions.
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The Microplastics Problem That Sparked Uluu
The European Environment Agency estimates that synthetic textiles release 200,000 to 500,000 tonnes of microplastics into the world’s oceans annually.
Reisser was an oceanographer before she founded the company. Her PhD involved mapping microplastics in Australian waters.
Reisser stated that studying the problem was great, but she was getting depressed from just telling all the bad news about what microplastic means to the ocean, to the ocean health, and also our own health. The experience pushed her toward entrepreneurship and a hunt for a solution.
From Buttons to Outdoor Jackets
Uluu already supplies material for commercial products, including buttons for Australian sleepwear brand Papinelle. Outerwear is a harder test.
Reisser acknowledges a price premium on Uluu’s materials. Costed per garment, she said, the gap narrows. When you translate that premium to a garment, you’re talking a few cents more.
The goal is parity with fossil fuel-based plastics, reached through larger factories and the company’s saltwater fermentation process. Uluu plans a first full-scale commercial plant in Australia, then sites overseas including Indonesia.
Reisser said seaweed could eventually displace fossil fuel plastics across many industries. Of course, it is not going to be tomorrow, but there is a very tangible way to do that.
Uluu is planning a Series B round to expand its fermentation operations. It raised $8.6 million in seed funding in 2022 and $16 million in Series A funding in 2025, with German investor Burda Principal Investments leading.
