Meet the innovators

• Matoha – A UK-based startup offering near-infrared (NIR) and AI-powered materials identification technology.
• Eeden – A German tech startup working to chemically recycle waste polyester, cotton and polycotton textiles.
• Refiberd – Tackling effective textile sorting with an AI-powered hyperspectral imaging system said to accurately detect material composition and contamination.
• Arda Biomaterials – Another biomaterials company, Arda utilises plant proteins, initially from brewing and distilling residues, to create new material solutions.
• Simplifyber – Combining injection moulding with a proprietary liquid biomaterial, US-based Simplifyber fabricates 3D patterns for various industrial uses, including textiles & apparel.

Projected systems change in business models, materials and regulations prompts diverse topical investment in April, as both textile players and adjacent investors back emergent technologies.

Venture capital is fuelling the next wave of textile innovation. Stay up to date with our monthly roundup of notable early-, growth- and late-stage investments shaping the industry’s future.

As with March, textile-to-textile recycling has maintained traction with investors, with both sorting and revalorisation steps represented in this month’s funding news. Elsewhere, biomaterials have also seen a boost, especially protein-led solutions.

Textile recycling
Matoha
London, UK | Seed | Textile waste sorting
Textile sorting