Chris Harper

Chief\'kiwi\' Operation Officer - Ckoo - Co-founder @Materially Kiwi - Bio-Based Materials

Auckland, NZ

Helping turn Kiwifruit waste into worth with a next-generation bio-based materialKiwiLeather Innovations (KLI) began in a Papamoa kitchen during lockdown, when Shelley Houston (Founder) started experimenting with discarded kiwifruit her son was coming home with from orchards. That early curiosity has grown into a shared mission: to create a sustainable, plant-based alternative to leather from Aotearoa’s food waste.As co-founder, I’ve supported the transition from concept to company, developing commercial pathways for this novel material, helping shape KLI into a circular innovation platform with global potential.With major support from the Bioresource Processing Alliance, a grant from AGMARDT, backing from Callaghan Innovation, along with significant internal investment, we’ve taken this project from our home kitchen to a world-class biomaterials research institute, Scion, for its final validation and refinement. This support is helping us develop a high-performance material made from over 90% kiwifruit byproduct, offering a cruelty-free, plastic-free alternative for fashion, automotive, and lifestyle brands looking for genuinely sustainable solutions.With support from strategic partners like Seeka and growing interest from international brands, our focus remains on refining the product, building strong supply chains, and engaging with values-aligned investors and collaborators.Let’s connect if you’re in materials innovation, sustainability, or impact investing. I believe the future of luxury lies in plant-based products, grown right here in Aotearoa.