-
100
1 billion years ago
Evolution of fungi -
Gavin McIntyre Born
Gavin McIntyre Born -
Eben Bayer born
Eben Bayer born -
Growing up in Vermont
While growing up on his family’s farm in Vermont, Eben noticed how the roots of mushrooms would clump wood chips together. -
Better building insulation
Eden worked to develop a better insulation material, while studying at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and remembered mushrooms' bonding ability thus he began to think about industrial applications. After making a few samples, he teamed up with Gavin McIntyre, a mechanical engineering classmate and their professor Burt Swersey. -
Disruptive innovation w/fungi
Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre, while still at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, invent a new way to use fungi as rigid, molded materials. They see this as a disruptive innovation that could help the planet. -
Ecovative founded
Eben and Gavin graduate, decide to quit their jobs and found Ecovative. They set up shop in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Business Incubator to continue their experiments. -
Awards
Ecovative begins winning awards, including ASME's iShow and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Change the World Challenge. -
Initial building insulation
Ecovative's initial research focuses on insulation for buildings to replace plastic foams. -
Largest Award
Ecovative wins the PICNIC Green Challenge, the world's largest prize for solutions addressing climate change for €500,000 which allows them to move out of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s basement. -
Ecovative expands
Ecovative expands their space by 10 times and moves to a warehouse in Green Island, New York where they build the first prototype production system for Mushroom Materials. -
Mushroom® Packaging
After initial exploration of many potential uses for Mushroom Materials, the Ecovative team launched Mushroom® Packaging. -
1st Retreat
The company employees take their first retreat, a tradition that continues today, which allows them to relax, reflect, plan, and draw inspiration from nature. -
Mushroom® Packaging booms
Mushroom® Packaging begins replacing thousands of plastic foam parts for sustainability leaders like Steelcase. -
Dell/Innovator of Year
Ecovative continues to sell packaging to Fortune 500's including Dell and Crate & Barrel. Mushroom® Packaging sustainability awards, including the Dupont Packaging Innovation Award and Greener Package's Innovator of the Year Award. -
Tech Pioneer Award
The World Economic Forum recognizes Ecovative as a world leader with its distinguished Tech Pioneer award. -
More expansion
Ecovative continues to grow packaging and its manufacturing capacity, expanding into a much larger facility, new offices, and R&D labs. -
Sealed Air licenses
Sealed Air licenses Mushroom® Packaging technology for production, sale and distribution in North America and Europe. -
Mushroom House
Ecovative returns to its roots in building materials and grows the world's first Mushroom House with walls made of Mushroom Insulation, while building industry partnerships to expand Mushroom Materials into new markets. -
Regional Facilities
Working on having facilities spread across the globe focusing on local manufacturing in that particular region - i.e. China can use rice husks, and North America can use buckwheat husks as a means of ceating 100% biodegradable products.
