Revolutionary biomaterials
for forward thinkers.
Performance
meets possibility.
Using cutting-edge technology modeled on nature’s own design, Polybion™ grows premium, high-performance biomaterials from fruit waste.
From linear to circular
From leftover to constructive
From old ways to Celium™
We believe biology is the best tool to face our global challenges. We use locally produced agro-industrial fruit waste as raw material to craft forward-thinking biomaterials such as Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose. By manufacturing with the building blocks of life and circularizing supply chains, we produce a superior material while prioritizing our planet.
Natural systems are cyclical; waste becomes nutrients that initiate new growth. By learning from nature, Polybion™ developed a production model that is not linear but a loop, simultaneously alleviating three major environmental problems: livestock, food waste, and plastic. This represents a paradigm shift from centuries of resource-mining practices to the regenerative cultivation of resources. Polybion™ is proud to be leading this charge.
Founded by brothers Axel and Alexis Gómez Ortigoza with Bárbara González Rolón, PhD, Polybion™ is a diverse group of biotechnologists, chemists, biologists, engineers, financiers, creatives, designers, and political scientists. We take inspiration from natural processes and organisms, and we share a common dream to create a better world.
Impact requires scale
Bio innovations and sustainable solutions face a common challenge: scalability.
By 2030, as the consumer class reaches nearly 5 billion, affordability and accessibility become crucial for next-gen materials like Celium™ - Premium Cultivated Cellulose.
In 2022, we reached a pivotal milestone by launching FOAK I, the first-ever bacterial cellulose production facility. Spanning 14,000 sq. ft., it's designed to produce 1.1 million sq. ft. of Celium™ annually.
Our scaling strategy is built on three pillars: volume, consistent quality, and competitive pricing. Unlike other biomaterials, our process uses minimal infrastructure and fruit waste, leveraging existing large-scale fermentation equipment. This not only makes scaling up more feasible but also ensures our technology can be easily adopted worldwide.
During 2024, we're focusing on automating our processes to enhance efficiency, quality, and reduce cycle times.
Where biology meets creativity, the future unfolds.
Celium™
Cel (derived from the word cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on Earth) + ium (the Latin suffix used in chemical elements)
Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose, is grown by feeding bacteria with agroindustrial fruit waste. A versatile textile with endless design possibilities, it can be customized by color, graining, embossing, and water resistance—all while preserving its exceptional strength.
Celium™ is vegan and organic, and we control the thickness through its growth, making it easy to tailor. Due to its biological nature, each piece of Celium™ is unique and distinct as a fingerprint, lending it the hallmark of luxury.
Nature chose cellulose to structure many of its most precious creations. We’ve captured that wisdom in Celium™.
Technology
We industrialized cellular agriculture to biofabricate Celium™. Combining material science with bioengineering, our technology is scalable, modular, and high yielding.
In cellular agriculture, cells from fungi, bacteria, or mammals consume nutrients in a sterile environment that promotes growth. We grow Celium™ by feeding bacteria with agro-industrial fruit waste. But first, we set up the perfect environment for the cells to self-organize and they create the cellulose structure as a metabolic by-product. Once formed, Celium’s cell-based membrane undergoes a sustainable stabilization process to achieve its high-performance characteristics.
Our production model is EPA, REACH, and ZDHC compliant and concentrated within a 30-mile radius, dramatically reducing our carbon footprint. There is currently enough of the fruit waste we use to produce 168,000,000 square feet of Celium™ annually (and we have identified three other types of local fruit waste equally abundant). With zero hazardous chemicals released in any part of the process, nor significant biomass outputs between growth cycles, Celium™ is as circular as it gets.
From Cultivated Cellulose to Premium Corporate Kits
- Published on
- December 4, 2025
A full-cycle venture in collaboration with one of Mexico’s leading pension funds
For this collaboration, the partner was Afore Azteca, one of Mexico’s largest and most influential retirement funds, managing billions in assets and shaping the financial future of millions across Latin America. Their decision to commission a fully traceable, ultra-local collection underscored a growing appetite for materials and products that embody both innovation and responsibility.
We developed and delivered more than 350 corporate kits crafted with Celium™- Premium Cultivated Cellulose. Each kit included a notebook cover, a toiletry bag, and a cardholder. All three pieces were conceived as a unified collection, produced at scale and delivered in record-breaking time.
For the first time, every stage of the process was either handled or curated by Polybion, from fruit waste to finished product. We cultivated bacterial cellulose from agroindustrial fruit waste, transformed it into Celium™, developed the color and configuration of the material, designed each product in collaboration with Vibe Lab Studio, sourced the complementary components, created the tech packs, coordinated local manufacturing, and delivered the kits when ready.
What is often fragmented across several suppliers became, in this case, an integrated workflow handled within the same ecosystem. Biology, material science, design, and craft, aligned under one vision.
Designed in our Consumer Product Design Studio
The design brief asked for a refined and functional corporate gift that would reflect both modernity and responsibility. In response, our team created a three-piece set.
The notebook cover was designed with clean proportions that highlight the identity of Celium™. The toiletry bag explored softness and volume while maintaining structural integrity and ease of use. The cardholder served as the most immediate expression of tactility and finishing, where stitching, edges, and handling reveal the quality of both the material and manufacturing process.
From Material Science to Premium Local Craft
While the design work took place inside Polybion, production unfolded with local partners who share our commitment to thoughtful manufacturing. Keeping the process close allowed rapid iteration between sampling and adjustment, direct quality control, and a significant reduction in unnecessary transportation.
Celium™ was paired with selected linings, zippers, and hardware chosen to support the design vision. Every component was evaluated to ensure coherence, performance, and visual harmony. The result is a set of objects that perform reliably in daily use while maintaining the expression of premium materials.
Why Full Cycle Matters
Completing the full cycle internally gave us something essential: complete traceability and control over each decision that shapes the material and the product itself, and with it, the rare ability to craft the entire sensorial journey, from the cultivated cellulose to the final piece in someone’s hands. It allowed the material, the craft, and the final object to speak the same language, aligned in intention and execution.
It enabled a workflow where the transformation from waste to finished object could be carried out with intention, precision, and a lighter carbon footprint. Every component was sourced and obtained within a 250-kilometer radius, proving that ultra-locality can become a new standard for premium production, one capable of delivering highly efficient LCAs without compromising design or craftsmanship. At a moment when many ESG investments are being paused or delayed, this project moved in the opposite direction. It demonstrated that responsible production is achievable when design, science, and manufacturing remain aligned under a single vision.
Corporate Gifting as a Material Statement
Corporate gifts often serve a symbolic role. In this case, they became a material statement. For a leading institution in the financial sector in Latin America, choosing Celium™ meant placing next-generation materials in the hands of their most senior leaders. Each notebook cover, toiletry bag, and cardholder is both a functional object and a demonstration of what cultivated cellulose can achieve when handled with care and intention.
For organizations and brands interested in bringing next-generation materials into their ecosystem, this model offers a clear, traceable, and realistic way forward.
If you want to explore what Celium™ could become in your context, our team is ready to build that next step with you.