Material World: Innovators Team with Producers on Next-Gen Fibers
Material World is a weekly roundup of innovations and ideas within the materials sector, covering news from emerging biomaterials and alternative leathers to sustainable substitutes and future-proof fibers.
Pact
Cambridge-based bio-innovation company Pact has raised 9 million pounds (about $12 million) in a seed funding round to advance the development of its biomaterials, including its inaugural material, Oval: a scalable and climate-responsible biomaterial made from natural collagen.
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“Our commitment at Pact is to craft beautiful, adaptable materials inspired by and derived from the natural world. We have poured energy and creativity into our innovations, ensuring they can meet the standards of the world’s most prestigious brands and respect their heritage, whilst also being truly scalable,” Yudí Ding, co-founder and CEO of Pact, said. “Bringing these esteemed investors, who have deep connections to and understanding of the industry, on board will help us accelerate our progress to date, work with more client partners worldwide and unlock further biomaterial breakthroughs.”
The seed round was joined by Hoxton Ventures, ReGen Ventures, Celsius Industries (formerly known as Untitled) and Polytechnique Ventures.
“We’ve met with plenty of new materials companies but struggled to find any that could actually meet the performance standards of incumbent materials, let alone exceed them. The Pact team [has] developed a platform that can utilize natural collagen sources to create beautiful materials that have exceeded the strict requirements of the world’s luxury fashion houses. What’s more, they have a pathway to produce materials in a genuinely scalable way,” Dan Fitzgerald, managing partner at ReGen Ventures, said.
“ReGen was excited to invest in Pact because we believe it represents the future of regenerative biomaterials,” he added. “We fully support Pact’s ambition to not just match what already exists but significantly surpass it, giving us a world of materials that today we can only dream of.”
The company’s first-to-market material has several luxury maisons interested, Pact reported. As such, the firm is set to scale Oval across additional industries and commercialize a wider range of biomaterial innovations. To enable that expansion, Pact invested in a new 13,820-square-foot headquarters in Cambridge, complete with a laboratory and pilot production facility.
To make Oval, Pact has collaborated with collagen manufacturers and developed a patented process that transforms cosmetic-grade collagen into collagen skins. Thanks to the skin-like quality of collagen, Oval has a refined hand feel that’s supple and durable. It responds to environmental factors (think scratches, water and sunlight) similarly to traditional, animal-derived leather. However, because of its flexible makeup, Oval can be embossed, printed on and finished, as well as produced in various textures, patterns and colors.
Designed as a drop-in solution, the company is working closely with leaders in the luxury fashion supply chain to ensure brands can embrace the offering on a global scale.
Pyratex x Recover
Madrid-based material innovator Pyratex has teamed with material science company Recover on a line of recycled cotton fabrics. The partnership combines Recover’s recycling technology with Pyratex’s spinning and knitting prowess in an attempt to scale the use of recycled materials in high-end fashion without losing quality.
“Our new partnership with Pyratex paves the way for a more sustainable future in fashion, where high-quality recycled materials are at the forefront,” Boris Mercier, Recover’s senior vice president of marketing, said. “With our fiber immediately available through these fabrics, brands can easily access low-impact solutions without the constraints of traditional supply chains.”
Featuring different structures containing 30-50 percent Recover recycled cotton fiber blended with organic cotton fiber, the collection aims to make high-quality fabrics from mechanically recycled cotton fibers a “new standard” in sustainable luxury. The fabrics are made using recycled cotton fiber from textile waste mechanically recycled at Recover’s Spain facility. The low-impact fibers are then spun and knitted into premium fabric structures by Pyratex in Portugal.
“Recycled fibers have always represented an important role in our fabric range, but achieving high-quality structures using recycled cotton has been a challenge,” Regina Polanco, CEO of Pyratex, said. “Our partnership with Recover has expanded our ability to offer our clients luxurious structures from 100 percent traceable recycled cotton blends.”
Biophilica
London-based material innovator Biophilica has developed a 100 percent biobased adhesive entirely made from renewable resources.
Dubbed Brightbond, the adhesive was created at the company’s headquarters after 18 months of research and development. It has the same bonding performance expected from a traditional PVA. It is suitable for gluing Biophilica’s debut plant-based material, Treekind, as well as substrate materials like wood and textiles, including leather. The water-based formula is non-hazardous and non-toxic, drying as a clear adhesive with a slight tint.
Biophilica is in the process of applying for USDA BioPreferred certification for Brightbond as 100 percent biobased.
Spiber
Japanese bio-venture Spiber and China-based premium yarn exporter Consinee Group announced they’re continuing their partnership, which began in 2023, to combine Spiber’s Brewed Protein fiber with Consinee’s expertise in spinning high-quality yarn.
“The collaboration with Spiber is an opportunity, as both companies are committed to providing the best solutions for the world’s leading brands in haute couture and sustainability,” Consinee Group’s CEO, Xue “Boris” Jinli, said in a statement. “Bewed Protein fiber is a new type of environmentally responsible fiber, which is an innovation in the textile industry.”
So far, the partnership has yielded “promising results,” with several yarns comprised of between 30 percent and 100 percent Brewed Protein fiber now on the market.
“The cooperation with Spiber embodies our pursuit and practice of green, intelligence, low carbon, traceability and recyclability,” Jinli said. “We believe that collaboration between our two companies can bring about a healthier, more environmentally responsible and more sustainable development in the field of yarn.”
Microban x Ciclo
Antimicrobial solutions provider Microban has teamed up with Ciclo Technology, an innovator in reducing microfiber pollution from synthetic materials. The strategic partnership will combine Microban’s odor control technologies with Cicli’s biodegradable technology to provide textile manufacturers with greener solutions while building sustainable performance functionality into synthetic fabrics and fibers.
“Microban and Ciclo Technology are a perfect match in our shared commitment to innovation and delivering customer solutions,” said Brian Aylward, director of business development for Microban’s global textile group. “Together, we’re providing an ideal solution for brands and retailers seeking high-performance textiles that also meet sustainability goals, from apparel to bedding and upholstery.”
Microban’s odor control and antimicrobial protection extends the life and freshness of textiles. Its technology helps reduce consumers’ reliance on washing, preventing odor build-up on synthetic fabrics. Ciclo enables polyester and nylon to biodegrade in end-of-life environments while accelerating the breakdown of synthetic fibers shed to reduce the impact of microplastic. Together, these combined technologies allow manufacturers to offer textiles that meet the consumer demand for durability, in alignment with their mounting environmental concerns.
“The collaboration with Microban responds directly to market needs,” said Cheryl Smyre, vice president at Ciclo’s parent company, Parkdale Advanced Materials. “It offers a dual-benefit solution that enhances textile performance during use without compromising the long-term impact on the environment—a breakthrough innovation.”
Nemo Equipment
Allied Feather + Down (AF+D) will supply down to Nemo Equipment’s Good Design Sustainability award-winning, fully recyclable Endless Promise down sleeping bag collection.
AF+D is supplying down for Nemo’s Disco and Riff sleeping bags, which will be returned to Allied when they reach the end of their usable life. After cleaning and reviving the down, AF+D will incorporate the insulation into its Renu:Trace program.
“Recyclable and naturally biodegradable, down is one of the most sustainable insulations on the planet and plays an important role in the circular economy,” said Daniel Uretsky, president of Allied Feather + Down. “We launched our Renu:Trace recycled down program in 2022 as a way to recycle down in a closed loop, the only way to ensure this recycled material is 100 percent traceable and ethically sourced.”
While Nemo is the first to participate, the Renu:Trace program is available to all of AF+D’s partners.
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