📋 Tender Overview
With the financing and technical support of the ProInnovate program of the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE).In the Huanuco region, large volumes of agricultural waste such as coffee beans and aguaymanto calyx often end up in rudimentary compost bins, generating environmental pollution and risks to public health.
Faced with this local problem, the startup Hope Biocuero has developed an innovative solution that converts this waste into high-quality bioleather, betting on the circular economy and the mitigation of climate change.
The venture, financed by PRODUCEs ProInnovate program, identified that the accumulation of this waste not only implies additional costs for producers and transporters, but also inefficient management that aggravates the environmental impact.
Based on this reality, Hope Biocuero decided to collect waste and transform it using clean technologies, such as ultrasound, ohmic fields and phase separation due to pH change, explained Daniel Claudio Sanchez, CEO and founder of the aforementioned startup.
Natural pigments are obtained from coffee that, in addition to providing color, perform an antifungal function that protects the material against humidity. Proteins and fibers are extracted from aguaymanto that provide structure and resistance to the bioleather.
Unlike other alternative materials, the process developed by Hope Biocuero does not use plastics, latex or industrial binders, which reinforces its sustainable nature, he added.
VIDEO | In Huanuco they create bioleather from aguaymanto and coffee waste
From university to market
The initiative was born at the Hermilio Valdizan National University, when the founder of Hope was a student of Agroindustrial Engineering. Starting from basic prototypes developed in the laboratory, the project evolved with funding from ProInnovate, which allowed real validations to be carried out, improving the impact of the product and giving it visibility at a national and international level.
Currently, the startup has a small process center equipped with prototype machinery--in patent process--and equipment intended for quality control of the biomaterial. The results have allowed us to obtain homogeneous bioleathers, with different thicknesses and finishes, suitable for applications such as suitcases, covers, backpacks, clothing and technological accessories.
One of the prototypes, to be more exact, the strap of a smart watch has been validated in daily use for several months, exposed to extreme climates in high Andean and Amazonian areas, demonstrating resistance, durability and comfort, without generating irritation or loss of quality.
Scaling and international projection
Hope Biocuero is currently in a commercial validation and expansion phase, with advanced conversations for collaborations with companies and markets in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, as well as with companies interested in integrating the material into future technological developments.
To this end, the team has been working on the protection of intellectual property through invention patents and on compliance with export requirements.
The startup highlights that industrial scaling requires strategic alliances, especially to respond to the demand for large volumes demanded by the international market. In this sense, the project keeps its doors open to collaborations with companies, universities and researchers.
With this initiative, Hope Biocuero demonstrates how a local environmental problem can become an opportunity for sustainable innovation, generating economic, social and environmental impact from the regions of the country.
