They met in Mumbai in 2015, by which time Zuzana had already been working for over three years on bacterial cellulose as a material. She was keen to explore the potential in India for employing a traditional bacterial-cellulose growth process used in the Philippines, where ‘Nata de Coco’ (the Filipino version of this substance) is an important part of the food industry.
The name of Susmith’s home region can be literally translated as ‘the land of coconuts’, which given the circumstances, was a good sign!
Having started experimenting with growing materials on a small scale, before long Zuzana and Susmith discovered they shared more profound values, a passion for craft and making as well as a concern for sustainability and the environment. Oh, also, not only do they both love a good coconut but they are firm believers in coconut karma whereby people who behave badly will one day have a well-deserved coconut fall on their heads as punishment!
