Mykor Scales Mycelium Insulation Made From Waste Biomass

The construction technology company Mykor is seeking to bring fungal materials into mainstream building projects by transforming waste biomass into insulation and prefabricated construction products.

Founded by architect Olivia Page and biotechnology specialist Valentina Dipietro, the UK and Portugal-based company uses mycelium, the network of thread-like structures through which fungi grow, as a natural binding agent. The mycelium is combined with agricultural or industrial residues to create rigid materials that can provide thermal and acoustic insulation.

In an interview with BusinessGreen, Page said developing commercially viable mycelium products involves considerably more than growing fungi under laboratory conditions. The process requires the selection and engineering of suitable fungal strains, reliable waste feedstocks, controlled production environments and manufacturing systems capable of meeting construction-sector performance requirements.

Mykor’s flagship insulation technology, known as MykoFoam, uses mycelium to bind cellulosic residues into rigid panels. Previous descriptions of the product indicate that some of the feedstock can come from waste generated by the paper and pulp sector, while the company is also working with agricultural residues sourced in Portugal.

Once the material has grown into the required form, it is treated to stop further biological activity. The resulting product is intended to function as an inert construction material rather than a living fungal system.

Targeting Embodied Carbon in Construction

Interest in bio-based building products is increasing as regulators and developers pay greater attention to embodied carbon. These are the emissions associated with extracting raw materials, manufacturing products, transporting them, constructing buildings and eventually demolishing or disposing of them.

Buildings and construction account for approximately 37% of global energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Although operational energy use remains a major source of emissions, the production of materials such as cement, steel, aluminium and insulation also represents an important part of the sector’s climate footprint.

Mykor says its process can reduce the environmental impact associated with insulation by replacing virgin or fossil-derived inputs with waste biomass. In earlier company disclosures, it estimated that MykoFoam could use 90% less water, 40% less energy and generate 60% less carbon dioxide than conventional alternatives. These figures are company estimates and will need to be assessed against independently verified life-cycle data as production expands.

The material is also designed to support circular resource use. Instead of incinerating or discarding suitable agricultural and industrial residues, producers can potentially use them as feedstock for new construction products. At the end of a building component’s useful life, bio-based materials may also offer different recovery options from conventional plastic foams, although their practical recyclability or biodegradability will depend on additives, coatings and how the products are assembled.

Moving From Laboratory Development to Building Sites

One of the central challenges facing mycelium materials is translating successful prototypes into products that contractors can purchase, specify and install at scale.

Mykor has developed its technology through research facilities in the UK and a pilot manufacturing operation in Portugal. In May 2026, the company announced that it had secured £4 million to expand production and develop construction systems ranging from insulation to prefabricated walls. Mykor describes itself as both a product manufacturer and a technology platform that could allow established construction businesses to integrate biofabrication processes into existing production lines.

The company had previously raised £960,000 in a 2024 seed round involving Green Angel Ventures, Moonstone Fund, Rumbo Ventures, Core Angels and Pera Innovation. That funding was intended to support certification and market implementation.

Certification is particularly important in construction, where products must demonstrate consistent performance in areas including fire safety, thermal conductivity, moisture behaviour, structural stability and durability. Material manufacturers must also provide reliable technical documentation that architects, engineers, insurers and contractors can use when designing buildings.

Mykor’s insulation is being evaluated through INBUILT, a Horizon Europe project focused on reducing the environmental impact of buildings across their life cycles. Testing covers thermal conductivity, heat capacity, water absorption, moisture storage and porosity. The products are also being installed in demonstration buildings so their thermal, acoustic and carbon performance can be assessed under real operating conditions.

This type of validation could help address concerns about how biological materials behave when exposed to humidity, pests, temperature changes and other conditions encountered during decades of building use.

Performance and Commercial Barriers

Mycelium-based products are attractive partly because fungal structures can bind waste particles without relying entirely on conventional synthetic adhesives. The resulting composites can be lightweight, breathable and capable of providing both thermal and acoustic insulation.

However, commercial success will depend on more than environmental performance. Products must compete with mineral wool, expanded polystyrene, polyurethane and other established insulation systems on price, availability, installation speed and regulatory acceptance.

Construction companies are typically cautious about adopting unfamiliar materials because defects can generate significant repair, liability and insurance costs. Developers may therefore require environmental product declarations, verified life-cycle assessments, fire classifications and long-term durability evidence before specifying mycelium products for large projects.

Manufacturing consistency is another challenge. Agricultural residues can vary according to crop, region, season and processing method. Mykor must ensure that these differences do not produce unacceptable variations in density, strength, moisture resistance or insulation performance.

Production time could also affect competitiveness. Unlike conventional insulation products manufactured through rapid industrial processes, mycelium needs time to colonise the biomass feedstock. Scaling the technology therefore requires controlled growth systems, automation and efficient use of factory space.

Regulation Could Strengthen Demand

Changes to European building policy could improve the commercial environment for lower-carbon materials. The revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive introduces life-cycle global warming potential into building regulation, extending attention beyond operational energy consumption.

From 2028, new buildings larger than 1,000 square metres will be required to disclose their life-cycle global warming potential through energy performance certificates, with broader requirements expected later. The European Commission is also encouraging national governments and construction professionals to integrate embodied and operational emissions into whole-life carbon assessments.

These measures could create demand for insulation and structural systems that provide credible reductions in embodied carbon. They could also place greater pressure on manufacturers to publish transparent and comparable environmental data.

For Mykor, the next stage will be demonstrating that its waste-derived materials can meet those requirements while remaining commercially competitive. The company’s technology highlights the potential for biotechnology to convert low-value biomass into construction products. Still, widespread adoption will depend on verified performance, certification, stable production, and acceptance throughout the building supply chain.

Source: www.businessgreen.com