From Barley to Leather: The Alchemy behind Sabant’s Cool Factor
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READING TIME — 7 MIN
FOUNDER-TO-FOUNDER in MATERIAL INNOVATIONS
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Sabant specialises in making leather from beer waste — yes, you read that right. Sustainability isn’t just part of their mission; it’s a given
meet the founders
Sabant specialises in making leather from beer waste — yes, you read that right. Sustainability isn’t just part of their mission; it’s a given.
"If you're not sustainable as a new brand, we're not even talking. It literally has to be entry-level. Brands have been taking the easy way out for so long, nailing it to the green. This is what killed it for everybody," says co-founder Andrej Marić.
"If you're not sustainable as a new brand, we're not even talking. It literally has to be entry-level. Brands have been taking the easy way out for so long, nailing it to the green. This is what killed it for everybody," says co-founder Andrej Marić.
Founded in 2021, the company launched its first product, BeerSkin, in January 2024 — and it’s been turning heads ever since.
Founders Tamara Vučetić, a fashion graduate, and Andrej Marić, a former doctor and pharmaceutical chemist, teamed up to create what Sabant is today.
We sat down with Andrej Marić to learn more about how this inventive Croatian company is challenging the usual sustainability narratives, turning 'green' from a burden into a baseline — a prerequisite for creating products people can genuinely enjoy.
We sat down with Andrej Marić to learn more about how this inventive Croatian company is challenging the usual sustainability narratives, turning 'green' from a burden into a baseline — a prerequisite for creating products people can genuinely enjoy.
Andrej Marić
Tamara Vučetić & Andrej Marić
“Starting a product-based business is challenging… For us, it’s just about finding new ways.”
Daria: Let’s dive right into it. What does it take to come up with a groundbreaking idea? How much of it is pure luck and how much is hard work?
text
And then, of course, there’s luck. But you have to put yourself in a position where you can get lucky. The harder you work, the more you roll the dice.
I think the first prerequisite is an inquisitive mind.
For me, there are two paths. You either have a very broad range of knowledge and interests, and that leads you to look for something you can optimise and control. Or you’re driven by an innate need to solve problems. When you use a system and something in that system frustrates you, your instinct shouldn’t be, “I’m not going to use this.” It should be, “I’m going to fix this.”
For me, there are two paths. You either have a very broad range of knowledge and interests, and that leads you to look for something you can optimise and control. Or you’re driven by an innate need to solve problems. When you use a system and something in that system frustrates you, your instinct shouldn’t be, “I’m not going to use this.” It should be, “I’m going to fix this.”
I also think you mustn’t be money-oriented. If you're motivated by cash, you're not going to make it. You also have to be ready to fail. Your ego has to be able to handle you sucking a lot.
andrej:
Daria: With that in mind, what’s your story? How did you come up with the idea of making leather out of beer?
The material was much more accessible. It was also much more of an issue. Everybody drinks beer — it’s ubiquitous. It’s kind of cool.
We then took the barley waste and ran a lot of tests to see if it matched the molecular structure we were trying to substitute… micronisation, small lab tests, large industrial tests, etc.
And it worked!
We then took the barley waste and ran a lot of tests to see if it matched the molecular structure we were trying to substitute… micronisation, small lab tests, large industrial tests, etc.
And it worked!
Tamara and I had known each other for a long time but hadn’t seen each other for a few years before we met again during Covid. There was nothing to do.
We grabbed a beer, and she pitched the idea of plant-based leather.
At the time, everything revolved around sustainability, but we both saw that as a problem. Sustainability had become the entry level for any new brand. And brands had been taking the easy way out for too long, nailing everything to the green. That’s what killed it for everybody.
We grabbed a beer, and she pitched the idea of plant-based leather.
At the time, everything revolved around sustainability, but we both saw that as a problem. Sustainability had become the entry level for any new brand. And brands had been taking the easy way out for too long, nailing everything to the green. That’s what killed it for everybody.
We needed something more ubiquitous. Something that would connect with everyone, not just be “sustainable.” We thought, “We have to do something to make sustainability cool.”
And as we kept drinking, crazy ideas came and went. At first, we thought about making it from rakija. But the problem was the availability of raw materials. The plums used to make it are seasonal, which creates serious logistical challenges. That defeats the purpose of sustainability. But the idea took root.
We live nearby, and our houses overlook a brewery from different sides of the building. A few days later, Tamara called me and said, “Why don’t we just make it out of beer?” And I said, “Absolutely, let’s make it out of beer!”
We live nearby, and our houses overlook a brewery from different sides of the building. A few days later, Tamara called me and said, “Why don’t we just make it out of beer?” And I said, “Absolutely, let’s make it out of beer!”
andrej:
Daria: What kind of support were you getting to take this idea further?
beerskin
andrej:
Tamara is a textile engineer, and I'm a doctor in medicine. So between us, there's a lot of chemistry.
We got drunk that night and said, “Let’s pitch to a VC.”
We found a VC in Zagreb, and there were only four days between deciding to do it and actually pitching. We just didn’t sleep. We made a presentation on market research, and went in shaking like leaves. The night before was the worst night of my life, and right after the pitch we went out and got drunk again.
We got drunk that night and said, “Let’s pitch to a VC.”
We found a VC in Zagreb, and there were only four days between deciding to do it and actually pitching. We just didn’t sleep. We made a presentation on market research, and went in shaking like leaves. The night before was the worst night of my life, and right after the pitch we went out and got drunk again.
A few days later we received a call: “We chose you.” We were out of our minds happy. We didn’t even realise the scale of it at first. The VC we pitched to never invests in hardware. Ever. But they loved us and gave us the money.
The first investment was 50,000 euros. For a person that’s huge, right? But for a company, it’s not much. We stretched it so thin but managed to get working prototypes. At one point, we were down to 200 euros in our bank account.
When we started trying to scale, we contacted about 85 factories before we found one that would work with us. That’s basically every factory in Italy, and a lot of anxiety and stress. It took us two years to launch the first commercial product, BeerSkin.
When we started trying to scale, we contacted about 85 factories before we found one that would work with us. That’s basically every factory in Italy, and a lot of anxiety and stress. It took us two years to launch the first commercial product, BeerSkin.
We tried so many things before finally getting support from one company, and together we found the formula. Somewhere along the way, we also started collaborating with the University of Zagreb, the Faculty of Chemistry. We’re still working with them, continuing research and development to take everything to the next level.
Daria: So with that idea you went to local breweries to get their waste — barley malt. What was their reaction? What makes it a problem for them?
andrej:
The second issue is that it spoils quickly, since fermentation continues even after production. You have to move it fast into a system that can use it, and logistics are a major challenge.
That’s why they reacted so positively, and now we’re very close with the brewery partners we work with.
That’s why they reacted so positively, and now we’re very close with the brewery partners we work with.
When we started, we had to find breweries where we could have a positive impact while also getting the material we needed. So we focused on mid-range breweries. Everybody's reaction was kind of, “You’re gonna make what out of what? Sure, come over and take it!”
For them, it’s perfect because the first issue is scale. Some breweries have tons of barley waste. They try to sell it to get rid of it, usually for animal feed or fertiliser, but it’s still not enough and after fermentation, its nutritional value is very low.
barley malt
Daria: How does your beer leather compare to other plant-based options and animal leather?
I never understood the sustainability angle of a plant-based material that grows from zero. For brands to be truly sustainable, they have to make an impact — and you can’t do that by forcing completely new materials onto a very small legacy market. What you have to do is take the processes that already exist, reduce the use of plastics and fossil fuels, and create a product that can simply plug into existing products and systems.
What we aim to do is make everyday life more sustainable without forcing people to break their stride. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style, quality, or enjoyment to be green. That’s the paradigm we’re trying to shift, because people often conflate sustainability with sacrificing comfort.
It’s also very important to note that we are not here to take over animal leather. This is a special kind of material, and no synthetic leather has ever fully matched animal leather.
Animal leather has its advantages and disadvantages, but this is not where Sabant plans to make our stand. What we’re trying to do is eliminate synthetic leather, because there’s no need to use so much plastic when you can use far less with the right technology. That’s the only rival we acknowledge.
We talk about animal leather because people are more familiar with it. In the early phases of educating the market, you have to use something your audience knows to explain and compare.
We talk about animal leather because people are more familiar with it. In the early phases of educating the market, you have to use something your audience knows to explain and compare.
andrej:
beerskin
Daria: How can we change that negative perception of sustainability as sacrifice?
Not lowering the standards is the first thing, and not talking about it so much.
The thing is, it has to be sustainable. That’s the minimum entry, you know what I mean? If you’re not sustainable, you’re not even a new brand and we don’t even talk. Sustainability is literally the entry-level requirement.
The thing is, it has to be sustainable. That’s the minimum entry, you know what I mean? If you’re not sustainable, you’re not even a new brand and we don’t even talk. Sustainability is literally the entry-level requirement.
People have been taking the easy route for so long, pushing it in everyone’s faces. That’s what killed it for everybody. “We’re a green brand! We are sustainable!” — and then they just shove it all the way down to the green. Yeah, but where’s the brand? Where’s your story? Is your story just that you’re sustainable? Dude, the most sustainable thing in life is laying in bed doing nothing. But that’s not the point.
To me, the way to change people’s perception is by not being an asshole and saying, ‘You have to use fricking paper straws.’ No. It’s about making something sustainable without being pushy, and creating a cool product that people actually like — which, by the way, happens to be sustainable.
I think we just need to get back to making things that people enjoy. It’s on us, as producers, to create something people love that’s also sustainable — not on the end customer to accept low-quality products or sacrifice comfort because we were too lazy to make sustainability cool.
I think we just need to get back to making things that people enjoy. It’s on us, as producers, to create something people love that’s also sustainable — not on the end customer to accept low-quality products or sacrifice comfort because we were too lazy to make sustainability cool.
sabant x krie design
andrej:
Daria: That's such an interesting thought. What have you been doing as a brand to make sustainability cool again?
sabant x ira rumora
andrej:
When Marko Pjaca, a Croatian footballer and our investor, had a new transfer, it was the perfect opportunity for a gift. We decided to make him a football. At first, we didn’t want to share it since it was personal, but eventually we did — and people thought it was really cool.
Ira Rumora and Raw Bag are creators we genuinely love. Take the Raw Bag concept: Mirjam Krajina, who’s behind the brand, completely put our material to the test. She crumpled it, exposed it to extreme heat and water — she tried everything, and the material held up. All the bags were sold out before they were even officially created.
From a branding standpoint, it was perfect content for Instagram. Why? Because everyone could see what the material can handle. That’s cool, and it makes a great brand story.
Ira Rumora and Raw Bag are creators we genuinely love. Take the Raw Bag concept: Mirjam Krajina, who’s behind the brand, completely put our material to the test. She crumpled it, exposed it to extreme heat and water — she tried everything, and the material held up. All the bags were sold out before they were even officially created.
From a branding standpoint, it was perfect content for Instagram. Why? Because everyone could see what the material can handle. That’s cool, and it makes a great brand story.
Right now, we’re focused on building a solid body of work that reflects who we are as a brand. We prioritise collaborations with people we genuinely like. Locality matters, but we’re not planning to stay local. We’re growing, and we don’t plan on skipping steps.
The primary goal — really, the only goal — of this brand is to be like a canvas. We see ourselves as a platform for very creative, cool people to do something amazing with our material. That’s who we are. We want to provide something ubiquitous, something relatable, that helps our partners connect with their end customers.
Daria: Indeed, that’s such a great story! Did you know that the material would hold or was it a risk?
andrej:
sabant x raw bag
It was a total ‘fake it till you make it’ moment. At the same time, it was a great confirmation for Tamara, for me, and for all our work in product development that the material performs so well in the end.
I knew the tested limits of the material, yeah, but this was way beyond that — it wasn’t part of the testing at all. She described the process and asked if it could be done, and I was like, “Listen, brother, I’m gonna be completely honest with you right now. I have no idea what’s gonna happen, because who the hell does this?” And she did it.
Then she called, saying it looked great. I was like, “Oh, of course it does!” But I hung up thinking, “Holy hell, I did not believe that was gonna work.”
sabant x raw bag
Daria: Where are you taking this next? Are there any dream collaborations you hope to make happen?
andrej:
If you ask me, you’re going to get a very male-oriented answer. My biggest dream is to do seats for Mercedes-Benz. I’m a car guy, and I’ve always wanted to make leather seats for the S AMG — that would be my dream in the car world. As a specific brand, Montclair is one I’d be very proud to work with.
But honestly, I get excited anytime somebody wants to work with us. We did something out of nothing, so pretty much every collaboration feels thrilling. I also have a soft spot for Croatia and this region. I love developing things with people here. My dream is to build a factory in Croatia, employ 1,000 people, and create something new together — so locality really matters to me.
As for industries, fashion is our passion. We love the people there. Tamara is deeply into fashion, and I’ve grown to enjoy working with people in the space as well. We want this material to be ubiquitous. We aim to expand into shoes, furniture, hospitality, and we’re entering the corporate gift sector for all of our producers.
ginskin
Daria: One final thought. After everything you’ve built so far, what’s the biggest takeaway from your journey with Sabant?
andrej:
Just do it. Fall on your face, break your nose if you need to, get up, and do it again.
That’s it.
That’s it.
I’m just going to leave this final thought: just do it. That’s my whole take.
Just fucking do it.
Fail if you need to fail, and succeed if you need to succeed. Both are good. If you succeed, okay, you’ve built a good company, made some money, bought yourself a car, whatever. But if you fail, you learn so much — lessons you would only have learned in the next ten years doing anything else.
Just fucking do it.
Fail if you need to fail, and succeed if you need to succeed. Both are good. If you succeed, okay, you’ve built a good company, made some money, bought yourself a car, whatever. But if you fail, you learn so much — lessons you would only have learned in the next ten years doing anything else.
So if you have to sacrifice two years of your life for ten years of lessons, that’s a great investment.
Just do it. That’s my whole take. If you have to sacrifice two years of your life for ten years of lessons, that’s a great investment
ANDREJ MARIĆ, SABANT
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