ANANAS ANAM
PHILIPPINES
Ananas Anam is the inventor of Piñatex, a leather alternative made from pineapple leaves that are normally discarded as agricultural waste. Ananas Anam aims to provide a more humane and sustainable option to leather while providing pineapple farmers – primarily in the Philippines – an additional source of income. With applications in clothing, automotive upholstery, and footwear, its customers include Hugo Boss, H&M, and Skoda. In 2020, Beneficial Returns provided a $36,000 loan to finance new fiber extraction equipment. In 2021, made another 2 loans totaling $210,000 to finance more equipment purchase.