In this episode of the HeroInside Ingredient Branding Podcast, we welcome Mikael Eydt, co-founder of Beyond Leather, the company behind Leap - a next-generation material made from apple waste. We explore how Leap grew from a university experiment into a recognized Ingredient Brand, what it really takes to integrate a new material into existing manufacturing, and how thoughtful partnerships (like the iconic Danish furniture brand TAKT) can accelerate market adoption. Mikael shares candid lessons on pricing, scalability, transparency, and why he avoids the “vegan leather” label in favor of building a distinct category for next-gen materials. This episode is essential for innovators, material founders, and anyone interested in how purpose-driven materials become credible ingredient brands.
Themes & Timestamps:
02:11 – Where Leap is today
03:06 – Origin story: from apple waste to a material brand
05:26 – Timeline & surprises: speed, detours, and what he’d do differently
07:03 – Breakthrough with TAKT: why the right partner matters
09:18 – Beyond a capsule: portfolio-wide adoption vs PR stunts
11:01 – Integrating Leap into existing supply chains (Weishin, scale, fit)
15:23 – Terminology: should non-animal materials be called “leather”?
18:04 – Animal welfare & broader sustainability lens
20:09 – Bio-content, performance, price: coexistence over conflict
23:03 – Market reality: funding shifts, demand signals, and staying focused
26:01 – What’s next for Leap
27:46 – Founder challenge: ingredient brand vs big brand “competition”
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Questions, Collaborations, and Sponsorships
If you have any questions or ideas, reach out! We're also open to collaborations and sponsorships. Want to be featured on HeroInside? Contact us through podcast@braindery.com, and we'll get back to you.
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BRAINDERY is the education and community platform of BRAIND®. It offers tools like the first Ingredient Branding MasterClass and the HeroInside podcast to support the Ingredient Branding community.
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About the Host
Tomas Vucurevic is the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND® and one of the leading global experts in Ingredient Branding. Tomas has over 40,000 hours of experience as a global Ingredient Branding expert. Half of his career was as Global Brand Manager for Gore-Tex. The other half was as the Founder and Managing Director of BRAIND, a brand strategy consultancy focused exclusively on Ingredient Branding. He has guided more than 70 projects helping companies to get more value out of their innovations by transforming from the ZERO position as a supplier into the HERO position as an Ingredient Brand that consumers seek.