Allison Freedman is Director of Operations at Uncaged Innovations, one of New York State’s most ambitious biomaterials startups. Headquartered in White Plains, the company is developing a next-generation leather alternative that’s made from plant-based proteins instead of from plastics or petroleum. Freedman works remotely from the Capital Region.
Uncaged Innovations’ material is designed to match the durability, performance, and feel of traditional leather but without the environmental cost. This bold undertaking has already attracted attention from global brands and investors, and the company is the recipient of four awards from FuzeHub’s Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Innovation Fund.
Entrepreneurship and Science
Uncaged Innovations was co-founded by Stephanie Downs and Dr. Xiaokun Wang. Downs is a serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience building companies across marketing, plant-based food, and environmental sustainability. During her consulting work with major brands, she saw firsthand the growing demand for animal-free materials and the lack of scalable, high-performance alternatives.
Dr. Wang conducted biomaterials research at Johns Hopkins University, where she developed corneal implants using biobased components. Dr. Wang’s scientific expertise, combined with Downs’ business leadership, formed the foundation for developing a bio-based material made mainly from grain proteins such as corn, wheat, and soy.
These grains wouldn’t be eaten by people. Instead, they’re the same types of agricultural inputs that are used to feed cattle. By replicating leather’s molecular structure with plant-based ingredients, Uncaged Innovations avoids chemical tanning – an industrial process that turns animal hides into leather by treating them with toxic substances that can pollute water, soil, and air.
Solving Fashion’s Sustainability Problem
The fashion industry is the second most environmentally damaging industry in the world, surpassed only by oil and gas, Freedman explains. Traditional leather plays a significant role in this impact. It’s not just because of chemical tanning either. The cattle whose hides are used to produce leather emit methane, a greenhouse gas, as part of their digestive process.
Many “vegan leather” alternatives exist, but most rely heavily on plastics or petroleum-derived ingredients. These materials may be cruelty-free, but they aren’t environmentally sustainable. Uncaged Innovations is different because its material is bio-based instead of plastic-filled or petroleum-dependent. Its advantages don’t stop there.
This innovative material is durable and meets performance benchmarks for small leather goods and footwear. Manufacturing is readily scalable because it relies upon existing equipment instead of requiring custom-built machinery. Plus, Uncaged Innovations’ material is price-competitive with traditional leather.
Listening to the Voice of the Customer
From day one, the company designed its product to be manufacturable at scale. Early prototypes were just one-inch squares, but every development stage was tied to real-world production requirements. Today, Uncaged Innovations produces rolls more than a meter wide and hundreds of meters long that can be cut into 25 square foot panels for customers.
Scaling production wasn’t easy. Freedman describes the process as “challenges at almost every step,” but she also emphasizes how the team’s responsiveness made the difference. For example, when brands expressed concerns about how early-stage prototypes reacted to humidity, Dr. Wang returned with solutions that eliminated these issues.
Uncaged Innovations’ customer discovery process was especially rigorous. Through an NSF iCorps program, the team conducted more than 100 interviews with brands, end users, and industry stakeholders. This feedback shaped development and accelerated commercialization, transforming a strong idea into a tangible product.
How FuzeHub Grants Accelerated Growth
Uncaged Innovations has received three FuzeHub Manufacturing Grants, each supporting a different stage of the company’s development. Together, the grants have enabled it to reach key technical milestones, conduct pilot runs and testing, iterate based on customer feedback, and quickly move from prototype to production.
The most recent FuzeHub grant focused specifically on bringing the company’s material up to full footwear specifications. This performance category is demanding and requires durability, flexibility, and consistency across climate conditions. As Freedman explains, the success of the project ultimately “led to a footwear brand being able to get a product out on the market with our material”.
From Pilot Scale to Global Launches
Uncaged Innovations has achieved the type of rapid scaleup that many startups struggle with. Many of its competitors needed a decade or more to reach full production, but Uncaged Innovations reached that milestone in less than four years. In addition to footwear, the company has entered various markets through multiple commercial launches with global and boutique brands.
Notable achievements include a public collaboration with Hyundai and investment from Jaguar Land Rover’s investment arm. Uncaged Innovations has also expanded its team to London, Mexico, and Philadelphia. In addition to three FuzeHub grants, the company has received significant non-dilutive funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Empire State Development.
A Growing Team with Global Reach
Uncaged Innovations is proving that sustainability, performance, and scalability can coexist. Its plant-based leather alternative is already making its way into products around the world, and the company is positioned to help major brands meet new sustainability standards. For Freedman, the mission is clear: “We want to help brands do better — and prove that it can be done.”