Grape marc next to VEGEA vegan biomaterial made from wine industry by-products.

FROM THE EARTH,
THROUGH INNOVATION

A name rooted in nature. A material designed for the future.

VEGEA was born from the union of “VEG“, vegan, and “GEA“, Mother Earth. More than a name, it is a vision: to create materials that respect nature while meeting the needs of contemporary design and industry.

From grape skins, seeds and stalks, VEGEA develops GrapeSkin®, a bio-based material that transforms wine industry by-products into new possibilities for fashion, interiors, automotive and packaging.

SAMPLE REQUEST

Is it possible to create recyclable and high-performance fabrics using the resources the Earth provides?

In 2015, Francesco Merlino, founder of VEGEA, recognized the potential of grape marc — a natural by-product of the wine industry as a resource for developing a new generation of coating materials.

Through the development of VEGEA’s technology, this idea evolved into the transformation of grape skins, seeds, and stalks into a biocompound. From this biocompound comes GrapeSkin®, a bio-based material designed to offer durability, versatility, and suitability for industrial applications.

VEGEA is the story of evolution

The project that grows over time, evolving from the laboratory to industrial facilities,
while always keeping innovation, performance, and environmental respect at the center

Francesco Merlino, CEO of VEGEA, examining biomaterial samples during early research phase.

2015

Laboratory experiment developing VEGEA biomaterial technology from grape by-products.

2016

Pilot plant machinery used to validate VEGEA biomaterial production process.

2017

Industrial machine processing VEGEA biomaterial during sustainable production process.

2020

VEGEA biomaterial color sample card showing customizable sustainable material colors.

2026

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop sustainable, innovative and bio-based materials that bring together nature, science and design.

Through the valorisation of wine industry by-products and the application of circular economy principles, VEGEA transforms natural resources into high-quality materials for brands seeking responsible, scalable and distinctive solutions. Every material we create is designed with a clear purpose: to support a new model of development, where performance, beauty and environmental awareness can coexist.

Our Vision

We believe that beauty can be sustainable.

VEGEA envisions a future where materials are no longer chosen only for how they look or perform, but also for the story they tell, the resources they preserve and the impact they help reduce.

Our goal is to inspire companies, designers and consumers to embrace a new material culture, one where innovation becomes a tool for positive change.

3 pillars:

Circularity
Premium perfomance
Conscious luxury

Our Values

The three pillars of our commitment

Laboratory equipment testing bio-based material formulation for Vegea sustainable biomaterials.

Innovation

Hands holding grape marc used to create Vegea sustainable biomaterials.

Environment

Vegea workers monitoring industrial equipment in sustainable biomaterial production facility.

People

The people behind VEGEA

Francesco Merlino is the chemist, founder and scientific visionary behind VEGEA, whose vision gave life to a project at the intersection of sustainability, innovation and design.

Under his leadership, VEGEA has evolved from a research idea into a structured industrial company, able to deliver concrete, versatile and scalable material solutions to the market.

Today, VEGEA is made of people with different skills and a shared ambition: to design materials that respect the Earth while meeting the needs of contemporary industry.