The textile industry has long relied on both natural fibers, such as cotton and wool, and synthetic fibers, such as polyester and nylon. These materials are available and cost-effective, but have challenges.
Natural fibers often demand intensive water and pesticide use, while synthetic fibers contribute to microplastic pollution and are derived from non-renewable petroleum sources.
Moreover, these fibers do not meet the functional requirements of modern applications, including high durability, moisture management, and environmental sustainability.
Some advanced materials offer solutions to these textile industry challenges, with enhanced functional properties and reduced environmental impact. These materials include biopolymers, nanofibers, and recycled fibers, which can provide improved performance, enhanced strength, water repellency, breathability, and reduced environmental impact.
With these advanced materials, the textile industry can meet the growing demand for sustainable, high-performance textiles.
This article explores five startups in advanced textiles that are leading the transformation of the textile industry through the development and commercialization of innovative materials. These startups have the potential to grow rapidly, are well-positioned in the market, or could introduce game-changing technology within the next 2-3 years.
This makes them a great option for partnering, collaborating, or acquiring.
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1. Arda Biomaterials New Grain Replacing Traditional Harmful Leather
| Founding Year | 2022 |
| Headquarters | Southwark, United Kingdom |
| Total Funding Amount | £1.1 Million |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Pre-Seed/£1.1 Million |
| Website | https://www.arda.bio/ |
Traditional leather production methods raise environmental and ethical concerns. These resource-intensive methods often involve harmful chemicals, animals, and plastic. The problem also extends to the inefficient disposal of by-products from industries such as brewing, which can contribute to environmental pollution and waste.
To address these issues, Arda Biomaterials has developed a novel material, New Grain™, derived from brewers’ spent grain (BSG), a by-product of the beer-brewing process.
This material offers an animal– and plastic-free alternative to leather, aiming to reduce the environmental footprint of traditional leather and synthetic materials.
New Grain™ is 100% plastic-free, highly biodegradable, and minimizes microplastic pollution.
Brett Cotten is the CEO and co-founder of this startup. He has an MPhil in Biotech enterprises from the University of Cambridge and is the author of the book Gene-trepreneur.
Arda Biomaterials raised its latest funding of £1.1 million in a Pre-Seed round on June 12, 2023. Clean Growth Fund led this round, which also had three other investors.
2. Iltema Heating Fabric Saving Energy in Industrial Processes
| Founding Year | 2016 |
| Headquarters | Izmir, Turkey |
| Total Funding Amount | Undisclosed |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Undisclosed |
| Website | https://iltema.com.tr/ |
Industrial sectors consume significant energy for heating. The challenge lies in optimizing energy use to ensure sustainability and cost-effectiveness while meeting the extensive heating requirements of various industries. This scenario is compounded by the depletion of traditional energy resources and the global shift towards more sustainable energy solutions.
Iltema has developed innovative heating fabrics utilizing advanced technical textiles to address these challenges. The startup created heating fabrics by integrating conductive fibers coated with a proprietary polymeric solution, a process that the company has patented.
These heating fabrics are designed for industrial settings and offer a new generation of technology for efficient heating solutions. Iltema’s products feature adjustable temperature and size settings, making them versatile for a range of industrial applications.
Ayhan Prepol is the co-founder and manager of this startup. He has 24+ years of industry experience in sales and managerial roles.
With over two decades of diverse experience, Ayhan started in sales and marketing in the insurance sector. He managed family business operations and took a managerial role at Aras Cargo.
Ayhan contributed to product development and sales in the technology R&D division at Ayçe Engineering and later served as R&D director at Nanosan Ltd.
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3. Mars Materials Capturing Carbon to Produce Carbon Fibre Acrylonitrile
| Founding Year | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Texas, United States |
| Total Funding Amount | $660K |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Pre-seed/$660K |
| Website | https://www.marsmaterials.tech/ |
Various industrial processes release carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, contributing to environmental pollution and the greenhouse effect. These carbon emissions are one major reason behind global warming and climate change.
Mars Materials is focused on capturing and utilizing these carbon emissions. The startup has developed a technology to convert captured CO₂ into acrylonitrile (ACN), a precursor for carbon fiber production.
This process reduces the reliance on fossil fuels for carbon fiber production and turns carbon emissions into valuable materials. Mars Materials’ technology enables the production of carbon fibers and wastewater treatment chemicals by using captured CO₂, thus offering a sustainable alternative to traditional carbon fiber production methods.
Compared to current carbon fiber manufacturing processes, the technology reduces production costs and emissions.
Aaron Fitzgerald leads this startup with his experience as a co-founder, CEO, and Principal of other startups. He holds a BA in International Business from Rhodes University.
Mars Materials raised $660K in its latest Pre-Seed round on October 26, 2022. Untapped Capital was the lead investor in this round.
4. Adept Materials Two Layer Technology Making Temperature and Humidity Controlled Fabrics
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Somerville, Massachusetts, US |
| Total Funding Amount | Undisclosed |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Venture – Series Unknown |
| Website | https://www.adeptmaterials.com/ |
Moisture damage in construction and other sectors leads to substantial financial losses and health risks. Traditional moisture-management materials often have environmentally harmful production processes and limited lifespans.
To address these challenges, Adept Materials developed a technology with a two-layer system that enables directional vapor control, humidity regulation, and temperature management within materials.
This system allows water vapor to pass in one direction while blocking it in the other, efficiently managing moisture levels and preventing mold growth in buildings.
Adept Materials’ technology is versatile, seamlessly integrating into coatings, films, construction, apparel, and healthcare, making it a reliable solution for many sectors.
Adept Materials’ technology impedes inward vapor diffusion under wet conditions, preserving the material’s drying potential and preventing it from reaching the critical mold-growth threshold. The technology is at the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) readiness level (TRL 6-7).
Founder Derek Stein has served as CEO of this startup since its inception. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University and has been a professor at Brown University for more than 17 years.
The latest funding round for Adept Materials was on Jan 1, 2022.
5. OCEANIUM Making Luxury Materials from Seawood
| Founding Year | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Oban, Argyll and Bute, UK |
| Total Funding Amount | $10.6 Million |
| Last Funding Round/Amount | Venture – Series Unknown/£2.4 Million |
| Website | https://oceanium.world/ |
Traditional agricultural and manufacturing processes, such as the overuse of land, freshwater, and chemicals, contribute to pollution and habitat destruction. There is a global need to identify sustainable, nutrient-dense food sources to reduce pressure on terrestrial farming systems.
OCEANIUM has developed proprietary biorefinery technology to process sustainably farmed seaweed into food ingredients, health and wellness bioactives, and materials for luxury packaging and textiles.
The startup product lineup includes OCEAN HEALTH® Functional Superfood Ingredient and OCEAN HEALTH® Protein derived from seaweed. It offers a sustainable alternative to traditional food and material sources.
OCEAN INK® and OCEAN BASE™ represent innovative sustainable material technology by OCEANIUM. OCEAN BASE™ is the foundational ingredient for luxury packaging and textile materials. OCEAN INK®, derived from this base, is the world’s first sustainable and fully biodegradable water-based ink made from sustainably sourced seaweed.
This pioneering product mitigates water pollution by offering an eco-friendly alternative to solvent-based inks. It is used in retail packaging, from boxes to hang tags and labels, and creates promotional materials like flyers, business cards, and posters.
Karen Scofield Seal is the co-founder and CEO of Oceanium. She has experience as a Director, project manager, and relationship manager in different industries. Karen was also the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of a startup (LUCZA) in the past.
Oceanium announced receiving £2.4 million as funding on 14 September 2024. Builders Vision led the round with other participants, including the World Wildlife Fund.
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