Vegan sneaker brand, Loci, has raised $4.5M in seed funding led by Leonardo DiCaprio. The British sneaker brand hopes to grow its brand through funding.

Source: LØCI/YouTube

Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio led the funding round, and other individual investors included Martin Ott, Adidas’ former global head of M&A and venture, and James Carnes, Adidas’ former VP of global brand strategy and sustainability.

“We are here to change things,” Loci CEO Emmanuel Eribo said. “That’s why it’s always important for us to think differently, to swim against the tide.”

Loci manufacture and sources all of its products in Europe and pay for certified eco-materials. Each pair of sneakers are made using certified recycled ocean plastic. Thanks to this, the brand has removed over 982,000 plastic bottles that were land and ocean-bound. The plastic is spun into a durable material that is used to make the Loci sneakers.

The brand focuses on monthly production cycles to reduce its waste and its impact on the planet. The company donates 10 percent of its online profits to wildlife Conservation charities.

The company’s profit share model has also given grassroots organizations like SEE Turtles the ability to save over 100,780 new hatchlings. DiCaprio’s investment in the company will allow them to amplify its audience and share its mission.

“I am proud to be an investor in LØCI, a brand dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact and centered around creating cruelty-free, ethical footwear,” said DiCaprio.

LØCI sneakers start at £140 ($160) and are available online at www.lociwear.com.

Every year 100 billion new clothing items are produced, 60% of all clothing is made from plastic which either goes right to the landfill or is burned in incinerators, and over 2.2 million tons of microfiber Pollution from synthetic clothing enters our oceans! So it’s important to be conscious of your fashion footprint when you think about cutting out plastic from your life. There are amazing sustainable and circular brands out there, like Tiny Rescue, that are designing recycled and plastic-free clothes. Check out their Climate Change Collection!

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