AMSTERDAM – Fashion for Good selects 14 new start-up innovators to join their Accelerator Programme’s eighth batch. A total of 22 innovators pitched their solutions to Fashion for Good partners during a virtual Selection Day. With solutions in raw materials, processing, end-of-use, digital acceleration, plastics, impact tracking, the 14 innovators selected will begin the Accelerator Programme immediately, receiving tailormade mentoring, piloting guidance and industry expertise to help these technologies scale.
“We’re excited to welcome Batch 8 of our Global Innovation Programme, a cohort of 14 trailblazing innovators. The world needs innovation to lead the vanguard on positive, long-term climate action and sustainability – the case for supporting innovative start-ups such as these who are driving the change, is looking stronger than ever!” – Katrin Ley, Managing Director – Fashion for Good.
Fashion for Good
Guided and advised by the Fashion for Good team, the 14 innovators will be able to tap into the knowledge and expertise of Fashion for Good’s roster of 20 global partners of brands and manufacturers. Having extended the length of the programme to nine months last year, the additional time with the innovators has proven helpful in giving them structured support in pilot development as well as deeper coaching sessions, better preparing them to further grow their technologies once graduating. Over the nine month programme, Fashion for Good and their partners will provide impact assessments and market validation to map a path to scale for the innovator’s solutions.
This new batch encompasess solutions for various impact hot spots, ranging from raw materials, end-of-use, digital acceleration, plastics, impact tracking and solutions that enable the shift from wet to dry processing in the pretreatment, dyeing and finishing stages. Also, this batch of innovators represent the highest number of female led start-ups selected thus far with 6 of the innovators founded or co-founded by women.
The selected innovators of the eighth batch are: Alchemie, AnamXR, Biophilica, eCO2Dye, Lignopure, Living Ink, Made2Flow, MTI-X, OSM-Shield, Perfitly, Rescoll, Stony Creek Colors, The Hurd Co., and Traceless.
Alchemie Technology has developed clean-tech dyeing and finishing processes which are enabled by its unique digital fluid jetting technology. The process is currently focused on polyester and will soon be available for natural fibres such as cotton. Alchemie’s digital manufacturing solutions for dyeing and finishing deliver significant reductions in environmental impact: reducing wastewater, chemistry and energy consumption.
AnamXR builds virtual immersive B2B sell in and DTC gamified retail experiences that improve inclusivity and amplify sustainability narratives whilst having significant environmental impacts such as reduced sampling, (air) travel, retail stores and returns. The AnamXR platform uses their proprietary technology in combination with game engine technology to achieve 3D realism and optimal user experience which are accessible anytime, anywhere from any device.
Biophilica transforms garden and park waste into Treekind™ – a leather alternative that is compostable, plastic-free, estimated carbon neutral, and recyclable as green waste or into new Treekind™ material.
eCO2Dye has developed solutions for pretreatment and dyeing of natural and synthetic fibres in supercritical CO2, offering a complete package from process, equipment, dye specification to a colour database.The process significantly reduces water consumption, chemistry and energy use and most of the CO2 is recycled in a closed loop process.
Lignopure provides a platform technology developing a 100% plant-based leather alternative made from industrial side-stream lignin and natural rubber, making it a biobased and inherent biodegradable polymer. The multiple applications include apparel, furniture, automobile leather or polyurethane alternatives.
Living Ink is a biotechnology company transforming waste-algae material into a bio-based carbon black that can replace petroleum derived carbon black. The pigment is jet black, UV stable and has the potential to be carbon negative. Living Ink has integrated the pigments into a variety of ink formulations and has tested the pigment in a variety of other materials ranging from plastics to polyurethane foams.
Made2Flow uses machine learning-based solutions to gather data directly from production partners and validate it based on multiple sources. The data is then benchmarked and translated into environmental impact indicators such as CO2, water, biodiversity, energy. This way it helps consumers make informed decisions and it gives brands oversight over their supply chain impact hotspots enabling them to reach their science based targets.
MTI-X Ltd. is an advanced materials and processing technology company which developed MLSE® (Multiplexed Laser Surface Enhancement) systems to digitally pretreat and finish both natural and synthetic textile materials. It uses significantly less energy, chemicals and water than conventional pretreatments, and safe and inert gases.
OSM SHIELD (UNITED STATES)
OSM Shield’s ZERO chemistry solution is a non-PFAS high performance durable water and oil repellency technology which is free from all perfluoro alkyl compounds. It can be applied using traditional application methods on all fibre types, but the focus is on cotton and polyester.
Perfitly is a cutting-edge AR/VR-AI based size recommendation and visualisation platform for fashion e-commerce – helping brands reduce returns. Online shoppers try on clothes using their custom digital body double to find their perfect fit and look, all from the comfort of their home.
RESCOLL offers a thermal-debondable separation technique for different applications in the fashion industry. They use debondable adhesives and primers that provide strong bonding during the use-phase; however, once thermally activated, they allow for easy separation – enabling further reuse and recycling of material components.
Stony Creek Colors creates a plant-based indigo that can replace petrochemical based synthetic indigo dyes. They optimise indigo production in a (non-GMO) closed loop process which has the potential to be carbon negative. In addition, they are working with small-scale farmers and helping them to switch from tobacco to indigo which can provide them with a more stable income stream and keep prime farmland in agricultural production.
The Hurd Co. engineers fibre pulp made from 100% agricultural waste feedstock to be converted into viscose alternatives. The zero waste Agrilose™ process uses less water and significantly less energy than conventional man-made cellulosic fibres.
Traceless materials develop home compostable films, rigid materials and coatings that are 100% bio-based, derived from agricultural residues and are competitive in price and quality. Because they fully degrade in the environment, products made from traceless materials can substitute plastics in many products that potentially end up in the environment, and thus contribute to solving global plastic pollution.
Author: Fashion For Good
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