Brian Johnston

For the last 10 years, Brian Johnston has worked within the sustainability sector as a researcher, focusing on reducing plastic pollution, saving water and oceans, and cutting CO2 emissions. The challenges in funding research in the fashion industry led him to create iBiotech, a private enterprise that leverages knowledge and resources to focus on sustainable fashion. "I’m the founder of iBiotech, and we take by-products from the brewing industry and convert them into a type of vegan leather for the fast fashion industry."

What keeps Brian motivated day-to-day is the lack of eco-friendly fashion options and the looming environmental crisis. Witnessing overflowing landfills in 2019 solidified his mission. "Through iBiotech, we're bridging the funding gap for sustainable fashion solutions like bioleather. We're also building a circular economy that benefits the environment and local communities by making the brewing industry more sustainable."

Scaling up production was a significant hurdle. Forming a strategic partnership with a company possessing the necessary infrastructure helped overcome this challenge. "This collaboration was mutually beneficial, as our core values aligned perfectly."

Wolverhampton | GB

Founder, iBiotech

Brian received valuable guidance from his mentors. Alina Prisecaru's insights and professional evaluation of his deck provided an edge in the finals. Kristina Nushkova's input on highlighting the sustainable impact of his business and her support before and after the event were instrumental. "Her and Alina Prisecaru were also able to help me with storytelling and condensing the facts into bitesize portions for the audience."

Lana Kropyvna and the Accenture team improved the overall aesthetic of Brian's slides, giving iBiotech a distinctive look and maximum visual impact. They also helped clearly present the business model with the right amount of annotation. "They will be used for future pitch events, giving iBiotech a distinctive look and maximum visual impact."

The Sky's the Limit mentors provided advice on potential funding, competitions to enter, and networks to join, helping Brian secure the necessary resources to move forward. "The funding will enable us to join an online community of biomaterial producers, reach new markets, add electrical cabling, and make other modifications to our unit, paving the way towards our scale-up."

Brian manages his time by balancing business and home life, taking complete breaks over the weekends to recharge. "It's a simple strategy, but makes a huge difference. Business and innovation are marathons not sprints!"

He advises others starting out to break things down into manageable sections and collaborate as much as possible. "Business and innovation are marathons not sprints! Don't try to solve every problem within a few weeks."