Using biotechnology to create the world's most sustainable dyes
Huue is creating the next generation of sustainable dyes for the industries that are integral to a sustainable future. About 200,000 tons of mainly petrochemical-based dyes (worth 1 billion USD) are lost annually to effluent due to inefficient dyeing and finishing processes. This means that current dyeing practices are costly, inefficient and release toxic chemicals into freshwater sources. Huue tackles these harmful practices by providing a cost-effective, resource-efficient, and sustainable dyeing alternative. Rather than utilizing agricultural methods to create plant-based dyes which require more land and resources, Huue uses biotechnology to create higher performing product. Mimicking nature's processes, Huue examines how color compounds occur in nature and programs microbes to grow and secrete those colors -- and Huue is tackling indigo first. Huue has created a drop-in 1:1 solution for the dyes and pigments supply chain, defining an end-to-end process that creates high purity dye material. Leveraging co-founder Dr. Tammy Hsu's UC Berkeley bioengineering research, they are supported by leading investors and institutions such as IndieBio, Fashion for Good, Jennifer Doudna, and Melinda Gates' Pivotal Ventures.
Notable Achievements
- Won $1M investment as Best US Deep Tech startup in Melinda Gates and M12’s Female Founders Competition
- Co-Founder and CSO named MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35
- Grant recipient from National Science Foundation
Press Mentions

May 3, 2022
2022 World Changing Ideas Awards | Fast Company
See the 39 inspiring winners, and hundreds of honorees, of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas Awards.
Read on Fast Company »
July 27, 2022
Synthetic Bio Startup Huue Secures $14.6M Series A to Launch The World
SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) July 27, 2022 - Huue is a synthetic biotech company on a mission to culture nature’s rainbow, starting with the first indigo blue that doesn’t rely on petroleum or toxic che
Read on PRWeb »
September 28, 2021
How Huue's Founders Are Detoxifying the Denim Industry--and Saving the Planet
Most jeans manufacturers rely on petroleum-based dyes and pollutants. Tammy Hsu and Michelle Zhu are on a mission to revolutionize the industry with planet-friendly microbe-based dyes.
Read on Inc. »More Ventures in Energy & Environment
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