Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked biotextile startups.
Global Startup Heat Map: 5 Top Biotextile Startups
The 5 biotextile startups you will explore below are chosen based on our data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and relevance of technology, among others. This analysis is based on the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 1.3 million startups & scaleups globally.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 biotextile startups & scaleups our Innovation Researchers curated for this report. Moreover, you get insights into regions that observe a high startup activity and the global geographic distribution of the 106 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
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Provenance creates Synthetic Bioleather
Leather is a material often used for fashion, accessories, vehicle interiors, and more, which results in high global demand for leather. However, the material is not sustainable and sourcing it presents a significant ecological challenge. That is why startups are developing solutions that utilize synthetic proteins to develop sustainable leather alternatives.
The US-based startup Provenance Bio specializes in cellular agriculture. The startup uses its synthetic biology platform to develop an advanced form of collagen to create a sustainable leather alternative that has strong structural integrity. By making functional, safe, cruelty-free, and economically-viable proteins for the production of materials, the startup impacts the next generation of consumer goods.
Rifò manufactures Recycled Textiles
With millions of tons of excess clothing and textile materials discarded every year, the fashion industry contributes to global ecological problems. Additionally, consumers create textile waste as they discard the clothing they no longer want or need. The textile fabrics from both these sources can be recycled using solutions developed by startups. This reduces their negative ecological impact by promoting a circular economy.
Italian startup Rifò produces yarn from regenerated cashmere wool, regenerated cotton from textile waste, and regenerated polyester from plastic bottles. These regenerated materials feature similar or superior characteristics such as breathability, thermoregulation, and washability, when compared to traditional textiles. The startup’s solutions reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry by giving used materials a new life.
Infinited Fiber produces Cellulose Carbamate Fiber
Global waste generation causes significant damage to ecosystems around the world. The damage done to ecosystems is irreversible in many cases, including the acidification of water bodies, bleaching of coral reefs, or extinctions caused by ecosystem imbalance. To tackle this challenge, startups are developing sustainable textiles that mitigate some of the effects of waste generation.
Finish startup Infinited Fiber develops a sustainable textile based on cellulose. It uses patented technology to convert cellulose-rich waste materials, such as discarded textiles and crop residues, into Infinna, a cellulose carbamate fiber. The startup’s technology breaks down the input materials at the polymer level to maximize the value of the material recovered. This solution also meets the growing recycling regulations from governments globally.
Algiknit develops Textile Fibers from Seaweed
Companies are moving towards sustainable methods of production to reduce the negative impact of climate change and meet consumers’ demands. Seaweed, for instance, is a highly sustainable material that can be efficiently scaled up to reduce carbon emissions. Startups are already developing alternative textile solutions using seaweed to curb the high carbon footprint of the textile industry.
US-based startup Algiknit creates yarn from kelp, a type of seaweed that grows in coastal waters. Algiknit uses a scalable and sustainable production method to create highly durable and biodegradable yarn. The fibers find applications in footwear, accessories, garments, packaging, and home furnishings.
Biofaber develops Natural Polymer-based Materials
Synthetic fabrics that find widespread use in fashion, such as acrylic, polyester, nylon, and spandex, are petrochemical-based fibers. The synthesis of these materials requires hazardous chemicals that do not biodegrade in landfills. Thus startups are leveraging technology to develop naturally occurring polymers in plants as a viable replacement for petrochemical-based fibers.
Italian startup Biofaber develops natural polymer-based materials from bacterial cellulose. The startup’s production process involves an inexpensive surface treatment of cellulose which changes its nature from super hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The process is environmentally friendly due to its utilization of food waste as well as the lack of toxic chemicals involved. The bio-polymer has a high permeability to water vapor and gases and finds applications in hydrogels, hydromasks, and leather alternatives to the bio-polymer.
Discover more BioTech startups
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