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https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/a1e4b899-e7ab-467f-90e1-37882fd02180/petitpli2.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/2d966f80-40ef-4538-a7db-84a72f79dc99/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.20.42.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/e906c138-40a6-4c6f-ac97-fc838365d7df/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.21.55.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/1e5b582e-6c19-47ed-920a-5dfc4841dd1b/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.20.50.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/8d66f53f-5e35-44d7-a826-f469ae7f7cbd/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+19.40.40.png Home Marks & Spencer is launching a new service for clothing repairs and alterations. From August, customers will be able to book through a dedicated online hub and have their fixed items posted back to them within seven to ten days. The work will be carried out by Deliveroo-style repairs start-up Sojo, and its in-house team of tailors, with prices starting at £5. The move comes as retailers try to encourage more sustainable habits among their shoppers. Sojo launched during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 with a mission to make repairing, not simply replacing, clothing more mainstream. M&S said its partnership with Sojo aimed to provide customers with ways to extend the life of their clothing. “Through the launch of our repair service, we’re making it even easier for customers to give their clothes Another life, whether they are using our new repair service or long-standing clothes recycling scheme," said Richard Price, managing director of clothing & home at M&S.Josephine Philips, Sojo's founder and chief executive, said the partnership marked "an incredibly big step" towards its mission of making clothes repairs more accessible. Siobhan Gehin, a retail expert and senior partner at consulting firm Roland Berger, told the BBC that by partnering with smaller, independent repair firms, large brands can provide customers with convenient alterations without having to create the infrastructure for these services themselves. Growing trend among retailers M&S is not alone in looking to repair services as a way to seemingly embrace and encourage sustainability. In January, Sojo took up a permanent space in Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street to provide customers with access to its clothing repairs service. The central London department store also gives shoppers access to handbag and trainer restoration services. Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo, perhaps best known for its viral shoulder bag, offers clothing repairs and additional services such as embroidery for Uniqlo items at six of its UK stores. John Lewis has made its fashion rental service and recycling scheme a key part of its consumer-facing sustainability strategy, alongside accepting and reselling pre-loved products such as electronics and furniture. High Street stores Primark and H&M provide customers with online guides for repairing and maintaining their clothes, such as how to sew buttons and zips on to items or rework them entirely. Primark has also held free repair workshops for customers across the UK and Europe since 2022. 'Regulatory pressures' In 2023, France launched a scheme encouraging consumers to mend their clothes rather than throw them away by letting them claim a discount of between €6 (£5) and €25 (£21) on the price of an individual repair. M&S said its research suggested only 10% of the UK population feels confident enough to carry out clothing repairs themselves. But as well as meeting greater consumer demand for more sustainable practices, Ms Gehin pointed out that retailers may also be "thinking forward to regulatory pressures" they may face in future if they are not seen to be taking action. The fashion industry in particular has faced growing scrutiny from regulators over its environmental impact and commitment to producing less cheap or non-recyclable clothing. Earlier this year Asos, Boohoo and George pledged to make claims about the environmental impact of their clothes more clear and accurate amid wider concerns about greenwashing in the sector. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/fb049547-1d69-49f8-878d-e417ecaeb9c6/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+19.44.33.png Home Marks & Spencer to launch clothing repair and alterations service Customers will be able to send off M&S clothes for services like zip replacements and knitwear mending.Marks & Spencer is to launch a clothing repair service. The retailer will offer alterations and repairs to customers from August amid increased demand for sustainable fashion and reuse. It has partnered with Sojo, a specialist repair and tailoring business founded in 2021, to launch the service through its website. Customers will be able to book services through the M&S Fixed by Sojo online hub, ranging from zip replacements to knitwear mending. Repairs will start from £5 and will involve M&S clothes being sent off, repaired and returned to customers within 10 days, the retailer said. Richard Price, the managing director of clothing and home at M&S, said: “At M&S, exceptional quality products are at the heart of everything we do, and we want to ensure that all our clothes are too good to waste. “Through the launch of our repair service, we’re making it even easier for customers to give their clothes another life, whether they are using our new repair service or longstanding clothes recycling scheme.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/7d72a74a-49eb-491c-a6ae-5dc1dae184f9/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+19.45.55.png Home FIBE WINS MANUFACTURING FUTURES INNOVATION CHALLENGE.Fashion District has announced Fibe as the winner of its 2024 Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge. Fibe is a material science startup developing the world’s first textile fibres out of potato harvest waste. The company is developing the most scale, affordable and sustainable textile fibres with comparable performance to mainstream materials. They will receive £15,000 to advance their innovation and grow their business. The winner was chosen by a judging panel of industry experts, including Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges; Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design at PANGAIA; Gillian Lipton, sustainability consultant most recently at Alexander McQueen; Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, UAL; and Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT. Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges and Manufacturing Futures judge, said: “I feel so energised and hopeful after seeing such a broad spectrum of pitches solving problems across fashion’s entire value chain. The judges were unanimous in Fibe winning this year’s award. The energy in the room after their pitch was palpable and we so look forward to seeing them take their fiber innovation to the next level. Who knew potatoes were so exciting!” Idan Gal-Shohet, co-founder of Fibe, commented: “I’m really excited about winning the Manufacturing Futures prize. I’ve known many of the start-ups in this programme for a long time and have so much respect for them, which is why winning this prize means so much to us. The funding will be used to expand our business, so we are able to harvest a variety of different crops and create better conditions for farmers around the world. Our mission in the end is to create materials that use far fewer environmental resources than what’s currently available. Thank you so much to the judges and organisers for giving us this great opportunity to grow Fibe.” The runners-up, who will each receive £5,000 for their business, include Sequinova, who are making biodegradable sequins out of cellulose; and Fab Materials, who are converting hard to recycle fashion waste into valuable boards and composites, such as furniture. Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District commented: “Congratulations to Fibe for winning this year’s Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge. I am thoroughly impressed by the talent and creativity of all the start-ups who took part in this year’s challenge and am hopeful for the future of the industry. There’s plenty we can do to improve and start-ups like these take us one step closer to achieving tangible change.” The following brands were also part of the 2024 iteration of Manufacturing Futures: Innovation Challenge: Arda Biomaterials – turning spent grain from the beer brewing and whisky distilling industries into a novel, leather-like material Fiiba – scaling sustainable materials for the fashion industry made from 100% agricultural waste Oxford Biopigments – plant-based dyes that are naturally lightfast and perform like synthetic dyes PACT – creating performance and aesthetic ready textiles made from collagen sourced from industrial by-products The Seam – the wardrobe care & repair service powered by intelligent tech, that pairs specialist makers with people and brands to keep fashion out of landfill TRUSS – simplifying the resale process through instant access to actionable data Zori Tex – using the latest technology to optimise the sorting and availability of complex non-reusable textiles We would like to thank The Conduit for hosting the Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge awards ceremony, and everyone that joined us to celebrate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/372ebb63-dffe-4625-ad4b-c26d8fe1f8a1/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.11.23.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/b2e4bb81-d449-4713-9a20-b4f093252b6d/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+19.48.08.png Home NSIGHTS Materra won the 2024 Avantex Fashion Pitch for its climate-adaptive, fair-trade cotton cultivation solutions. The company promotes transparent supply chains by connecting fashion brands like Mango and Ecoalf with supported producers. The competition, organised by Messe Frankfurt France, honoured Materra for addressing urgent sustainability challenges in fashion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/6b5ee2e7-d6f8-45f6-9d15-d20d7ad9cc61/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.15.49.png Home https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/fashion/from-bio-dyes-to-marble-dust-kering-backed-talent-brings-material-innovation-to-pitti https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/03f30614-4609-463e-b312-1d486af0199d/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+19.52.12.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/82b0f360-8108-43a1-8f4e-562422b34c69/Screenshot+2024-05-17+at+09.40.45.png Home United Kingdom-based DyeRecycle wants to “pioneer” chemical and fiber circularity within the textile industry. The color and fiber innovation firm allegedly developed the first technology to recycle synthetic dyes from textile waste. DyeRecycle offers two solutions: recycled synthetic dye that can achieve industry-standard shades and white dye-free high-value fibers that can be respun into recycled polyester. This “transformative” technology has garnered industry attention. DyeReycycle has received $1.2 million in pre-seed funding and $1 million in equity-free match funding from Innovate UK. This round included participation from PDS Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Evenlode Foundation, Fashion for Good, and a suite of angel investors from the climate and fashion sectors. “One of the key things about our technology is that it’s very timely,” co-founder Dr. Aida Abouelela told Sourcing Journal. “If we had developed this even five years ago, I think the fiber recycling market wouldn’t have been mature enough to have this conversation.” One of the key barriers to effectively recycle textiles is the presence of dyes in the textile waste. Current large-scale mechanical fiber recycling practices sort garments based on color, which limits the final product to dark shades or requires subsequent dyeing steps. DyeRecycle’s technology addresses this challenge by providing decolored fibers. The H&M Foundation Global Change Award winner’s proprietary technology combines the need to recycle dye and fabrics, developing circular solutions for dyeing using textile waste. The circular process uses a unique liquid that selectively extracts dyes from colored waste fabrics. The fabric can then be recycled more effectively. The extracted dye is transferred to new fabrics, creating a new concept of “recycled dyes,” offering a variety of vibrant colors that meet industry demand while maintaining industry standards of color fastness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/fc50c1a7-2470-45d3-b413-db532a5aad8f/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+17.46.20.png Home Material science company Fiber has developed the first textile fiber from potato harvest waste. Now, the London-based firm is announcing the completion of its first investment round and a “breakthrough milestone” in creating a yarn from its proprietary fibers. After being awarded several Innovate UK grants totaling £785,000 (roughly $975,000), Fibe successfully closed its approximately $1.25 million pre-seed investment round. Patagonia’s corporate venture arm, Tin Shed Ventures, led the round, while Alante Capital, PDS Ventures, First Imagine! and several angel investors participated. With this funding, the startup will focus on scaling up its process so that Fibe has “all the necessary technical and commercial validation” to bring a competitive fiber to market in the coming years, according to co-founder and CEO Idan Gal-Shohet. “Fibe’s innovation not only avoids emissions from a waste stream with no viable options, but is also poised to produce high quality, lower footprint fibers to help drive the apparel industry’s climate transition,” McKenzie Smith of Tin Shed Ventures said. “We’ve been very impressed with Fibe’s early technical progress and are excited to provide not just investment but also leverage our internal material innovation and commercialization expertise to help accelerate Fibe’s path to market.” Fibe was founded in 2022 to create the most scalable, affordable and sustainable fibers on the market. It leverages agricultural waste streams, namely potato harvest waste, as the leftover stems and leaves of the potato are the largest untapped agricultural feedstock. The unusable organic material can’t be fed to livestock or turned into fertilizer. As such, 150 million tons of waste are “left to rot” without economic value to the farmer or the circular economy. Fibe believes its patent-pending technology can use this waste to replace up to 70 percent of the world’s natural fiber demand. “We are aiming to create an alternative that looks like conventional fibers, feels like conventional fibers and would one day cost the same as these fibers, all with substantial environmental saving and promoting staple food production,” Gal-Shohet said. The firm aims to compensate farmers for this potato waste and will collect it directly from the farmers, developing a transparent supply chain that can trace each fiber to each farm. These potato-based fibers have displayed properties akin to those of cotton and polyester. As an indicator of the material’s softness, Fibe said, the fibers have a similar diameter to cotton—outperforming bast fibers like hemp and linen, meaning the company’s fibers can be used for various applications, such as heavy canvas to lightweight shirts. The fiber’s strength is also allegedly on par with standard natural fibers. And it’s sustainable. By leveraging proprietary fiber extraction technology and waste-stream feedstocks, Fibe said it has created a material with the potential to use 99.7 percent less water, 82 percent fewer carbon emissions and zero land use compared to cotton. Currently, Fibe is developing a “portfolio of technologies” for more efficient extraction of fibers. Its current patent-pending biological process extracts fibers from agricultural waste without harsh chemicals and is “highly tunable” to a brand’s given needs. Considering scalability and price targets, this technology was designed as an end-to-end automated production line. “By working with a crop that has never been used for textiles, let alone valorized, we were forced to rethink from the ground up conventional processes,” David Prior Hope, Fibe’s co-founder and CTO, said. “This has pushed us to create a far more efficient system that requires fewer steps and produces higher quality fibers. The benefit of this is this same process can now be used on other fibrous waste streams and even improves hemp and linen extraction.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/4268c489-bd35-4778-87aa-29eb0ca8918e/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+17.46.41.png Home Material science company Fiber has developed the first textile fiber from potato harvest waste. Now, the London-based firm is announcing the completion of its first investment round and a “breakthrough milestone” in creating a yarn from its proprietary fibers. After being awarded several Innovate UK grants totaling £785,000 (roughly $975,000), Fibe successfully closed its approximately $1.25 million pre-seed investment round. Patagonia’s corporate venture arm, Tin Shed Ventures, led the round, while Alante Capital, PDS Ventures, First Imagine! and several angel investors participated. With this funding, the startup will focus on scaling up its process so that Fibe has “all the necessary technical and commercial validation” to bring a competitive fiber to market in the coming years, according to co-founder and CEO Idan Gal-Shohet. “Fibe’s innovation not only avoids emissions from a waste stream with no viable options, but is also poised to produce high quality, lower footprint fibers to help drive the apparel industry’s climate transition,” McKenzie Smith of Tin Shed Ventures said. “We’ve been very impressed with Fibe’s early technical progress and are excited to provide not just investment but also leverage our internal material innovation and commercialization expertise to help accelerate Fibe’s path to market.” Fibe was founded in 2022 to create the most scalable, affordable and sustainable fibers on the market. It leverages agricultural waste streams, namely potato harvest waste, as the leftover stems and leaves of the potato are the largest untapped agricultural feedstock. The unusable organic material can’t be fed to livestock or turned into fertilizer. As such, 150 million tons of waste are “left to rot” without economic value to the farmer or the circular economy. Fibe believes its patent-pending technology can use this waste to replace up to 70 percent of the world’s natural fiber demand. “We are aiming to create an alternative that looks like conventional fibers, feels like conventional fibers and would one day cost the same as these fibers, all with substantial environmental saving and promoting staple food production,” Gal-Shohet said. The firm aims to compensate farmers for this potato waste and will collect it directly from the farmers, developing a transparent supply chain that can trace each fiber to each farm. These potato-based fibers have displayed properties akin to those of cotton and polyester. As an indicator of the material’s softness, Fibe said, the fibers have a similar diameter to cotton—outperforming bast fibers like hemp and linen, meaning the company’s fibers can be used for various applications, such as heavy canvas to lightweight shirts. The fiber’s strength is also allegedly on par with standard natural fibers. And it’s sustainable. By leveraging proprietary fiber extraction technology and waste-stream feedstocks, Fibe said it has created a material with the potential to use 99.7 percent less water, 82 percent fewer carbon emissions and zero land use compared to cotton. Currently, Fibe is developing a “portfolio of technologies” for more efficient extraction of fibers. Its current patent-pending biological process extracts fibers from agricultural waste without harsh chemicals and is “highly tunable” to a brand’s given needs. Considering scalability and price targets, this technology was designed as an end-to-end automated production line. “By working with a crop that has never been used for textiles, let alone valorized, we were forced to rethink from the ground up conventional processes,” David Prior Hope, Fibe’s co-founder and CTO, said. “This has pushed us to create a far more efficient system that requires fewer steps and produces higher quality fibers. The benefit of this is this same process can now be used on other fibrous waste streams and even improves hemp and linen extraction.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/ffd2203a-0730-47ce-b07d-ed9de1698d3b/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.57.22.png Home Traditional chemical colourants cause major environmental harm through every stage of their lifecycle, from manufacture to degradation. There is a need for fully sustainable, biodegradable, and circular colourants. The colourants market is worth an estimated $38 billion and is expected to grow to over $100 billion by 2030. Catching up on this growing market is UK-based Sparxell, a developer of high-performance, sustainable, plant-based pigments. Now, Sparxell has raised a $3.2 million funding round (comprising seed investments, grants, and awards). The Circular Innovation Fund, a global venture capital fund jointly managed by Demeter and Cycle Capital with L’Oréal as an anchor investor, participated in the seed funding. SpaceX-backer Future Communities Capital, sustainability-focused investor PDS Ventures, impact investor Katapult, biotech and consumer sectors investor Joyance Partners, and climate investor SNØCAP VC also participated in the round. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/519d9ddf-a8ad-49ea-adac-e12945ff32e9/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.03.27.png Home Dutch biotech innovator NEFFA (New Fashion Factory) proudly announces the successful closure of its seed funding round, signalling a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize the fashion and interior industries through the use of innovative automated, seamless 3D manufacturing technology powered by circular labgrown materials, including the revolutionary mushroom-based MYCOTEX. Founded by Aniela Hoitink, NEFFA has attracted a prestigious consortium of investors, each bringing not only essential funding but also a wealth of industry expertise and influential connections, having extensive experience in biotechnology and fashion. This achievement also reaffirms the trust of NEFFA's current investors, who share the vision of a brighter future for sustainable technology and materials. The seed funding round was spearheaded by the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund, managed by the Cleantech Team of Capricorn Partners, an experienced investment firm in Cleantech and Technology. Collaborating alongside are two of NEFFA's existing institutional investors: the DOEN Foundation and ROM Utrecht Region. The final partner in this stellar consortium is PDS Ventures, a fashion-centric fund committed to fostering a sustainable value chain within the fashion industry. Nicoline van Enter, Co-founder of NEFFA, underscores the alignment between the company's mission and its investors: "NEFFA offers a holistic solution to the sustainability challenges faced by the fashion and interior industries. These sectors grapple not only with material concerns but also supply chain complexities. Our goal is to enable local, on-demand production with customization options and a robust end-of-life system. Having spent considerable time in the fashion industry ourselves, Aniela and I appreciate the multifaceted nature of these issues. Hence, our approach encompasses a full spectrum, from a digital 3D design system to lab-grown natural materials that can be homecomposted, and a zero-waste robotic production line." NEFFA's commitment to translating vision into action is evident through its partnership with German machine producer DESMA. Together, they have already conducted successful tests on a pioneering robotic production cell, leveraging technologies commonly found in current manufacturing processes. This strategic move ensures that NEFFA's innovative system is primed for scalability. The newly secured capital will drive the development of this production line to pilot scale, while simultaneously enhancing the quality and versatility of NEFFA's materials. Aniela Hoitink highlights one of NEFFA's unique advantages: "Distinguishing us from most competitors, we employ liquid biomass, enabling us to construct products in 3D. In the past year, our biochemistry lab has unearthed several promising material compositions previously unexplored, endowing our materials with unparalleled versatility and tactile qualities. The infusion of new funding will allow us to further refine and patent these groundbreaking innovations." The investment in NEFFA marks the first investment for the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund. As an early-stage Article 9 Fund, it invests in young ventures that use the power of industrial biotech to solve sustainability challenges. Damien van der Bijl, Investment Director at Capricorn Partners: “We truly believe in the holistic approach of NEFFA to tackle the big sustainability challenges of the fashion industry, by offering a fully sustainable material, as well as reductions in waste and water usage. On top of that, the NEFFA method offers designers a whole new universe of possibilities in shapes, textures, and functionality. We really look forward to the exciting products that designers and brands will create with NEFFA!”. Following its initial investment in 2021, ROM Utrecht Region is continuing its support to NEFFA by means of its participation in this new investment round. Juri van Dolderen, Senior Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht Region: “The highly innovative and sustainable supply chain solution by NEFFA has the potential to transform the fashion and interior industry. Our continued commitment shows our appreciation of the considerable development NEFFA has demonstrated since our investment in 2021.” The DOEN Foundation has been supporting NEFFA since 2020. Now its investment arm, DOEN Participaties, comes on board. Noortje van Heijst, Investment Associate at DOEN Participaties says: “DOEN Participaties supports pioneers that are on the forefront of the transition towards a regenerative economy. We are thrilled to continue being part of NEFFA’s journey and their ambition to transform the fashion and interior industries. With its innovation production process NEFFA enables the adoption of alternative, low-impact materials, zero-waste production and local supply chains.” PDS Ventures Irene Maffini states: “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Aniela, Nicoline, the team, and DESMA. We are particularly excited about the potential for NEFFA as a platform for biomaterials, poised to revolutionize zero-waste, 3D seamless manufacturing across fashion, footwear, and interior applications. NEFFA stands as a catalyst for unlocking unprecedented possibilities at the convergence of materials, on-demand manufacturing, and robotics, marking a new era of innovation and sustainability”. NEFFA's successful seed funding round not only marks a significant step forward for the company but also reaffirms the growing momentum of sustainable solutions within the fashion and interior industries. As NEFFA continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, the global community can look forward to a more sustainable, customizable, and environmentally conscious future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d6fa56b5-438a-4af7-bb91-79c66288ea7f/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.59.14.png Home Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think. Imagine disposing of an old pair of shoes by simply composting them. The mycotextile industry is placing a big bet on that future—and redefining the limits of fashion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/0fa54181-cd9c-4937-a8b9-a6ac776c8d03/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.34.01.png Home Biomaterials Company Biofluff Raises $2.5 Million in Seed Round https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/08158302-343e-41f7-81ad-b3db5c9968d1/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.38.40.png Home Plastic-free, fake fur made from nettle, hemp and flax fibres envelops these special edition bags that Danish fashion brand Ganni has unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/ae623676-0267-491e-88bf-b6a8317e82c6/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.07.17.png Home Mango’s new eco-conscious ethos has inspired the Spanish retailer to add a new fiber to its material matrix. For the first time in its nearly 40-year history, the Barcelona brand will introduce a capsule collection of products featuring regenerative cotton, available for purchase in the second half of next year. This sustainable step was made possible by teaming with Materra, a British-Indian company focused on designing scalable solutions to grow and source climate-resilient, transparent and equitable cotton, for a two-year collaboration. Additionally, the fast-fashion brand will leverage Materra’s digital platform to trace the journey of its cotton through the value chain. That mobile and web app, Co:Farm, syndicates implementation support and personal agronomy for farmers and generates primary Tier 4 impact data for brands. Mango said Co:Farm will provide “unprecedented levels” of transparency, allowing the retailer to oversee more than 300 data points covering environmental, social and economic elements like soil health, fertility, irrigation type and practices, nutrient management and sowing details, in real-time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/f0291d2c-18bf-46bc-a1c8-331b8a7ce183/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.20.41.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/11ffb030-6113-43e6-99ed-d0857d36ea69/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.08.58.png Home • Seed investment and EIC grant combined, the startup is tapping into €4.7M to boost production in 2023 and increase tenfold its disassembly capacity in 2024. • Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, highlighted the importance of funding circular entrepreneurship in a visit to the startup’s warehouse in Brussels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/12dc4780-96d7-4156-8896-b6ff2b8b3403/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.05.46.png Home For the AMPHIBIO LTD team which developed AMPHITEX, winning the Terra Carta Design Lab allows us to kick-start the recycling pilot with our partners and fully complete our circular material and textile value proposition. Part of the prize will also be used to develop bio-based feedstock that can be integrated with our current raw material without compromising the recyclability, with the goal to reach carbon neutral or even carbon negative with our outdoor performance textile.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/42da26f9-808f-4441-a851-70d5ad9c8048/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.14.35.png Home dyerecycle wins H&M global awards https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/de4b054f-caa2-441a-a734-f334f44e9cb1/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.11.08.png Home The Hottest Startups in London SEARCH Security Politics Gear Backchannel Business Science Culture Ideas Merch Podcasts Video Newsletters Magazine Events WIRED Insider WIRED Consulting Jobs Coupons JOÃO MEDEIROS STARTUPSDEC 18, 2023 7:00 AM The Hottest Startups in London London's tech sector is rising above the country's political distractions as Britain tries to maintain its status as a tech leader. Image may contain City Logo Stencil and Text ILLUSTRATION: WIRED STAFF UK PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak always had a propensity to style himself as the “tech bro” politician. Such branding is not restricted to pensive, hoodie-sporting profile pictures: In November, the UK hosted the first AI Safety Summit—complete with a cozy fireside chat between Sunak and Elon Musk. The UK government has also launched a DARPA-type agency called ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency), financing it to the tune of £800 million over four years. In July, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £50 billion in pension funding to scaleups by 2030. The question now is whether the formidable British tech economy can retain its prime spot in the global arena—earlier in 2023, when Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI announced the opening of their first offices outside the US, both opted for London—while the rest of the UK economy shows symptoms of inexorable decline. Part of that challenge will depend on a functioning government. Westminster, however, continues to show signs of being chronically preoccupied with its ongoing psychodrama. The highlight of Sunak’s opening speech at London Tech Week, for example, was not what he said about AI or tech regulation. Instead, it was his timid criticism of Boris Johnson over yet another political scandal. Fuse Alan Chang decided to launch renewable energy startup Fuse for a simple reason: “I was extremely frustrated by the lack of progress of our net zero transition,” he says. “So I decided I will become part of the solution.” Founded in 2022 with fellow Revolut alumni Charles Orr, Fuse is a renewable energy supplier that, according to Chang, provides customers with the UK’s cheapest electricity tariff as well as allowing them to track in real-time their electricity’s consumption and provenance. The startup has raised $78M, from investors including Balderton Capital, Lakestar, and Accel, and is currently building solar farms on unused land and rooftops. Their plans for the next year? “Fuse is building a one-stop shop to electrify your home and business,” Chang says. New features will include the installation and financing of solar panels and electric vehicles chargers. fuseenergy.com SOJO In July, the CEO of SOJO, Josephine Philips, spoke at a TED summit about how “learning how to value things correctly is a climate solution.” “It was in the context of clothing, but the premise can be extrapolated to society as we look at our culture of overconsumption and hyper-disposability,” she says. It’s a topic that has interested her since university. “I began shopping second-hand, but found that so often the clothes didn't fit me or they needed to be repaired—but I had no idea how to sew,” she says. Modernizing and digitizing the tailoring industry is the mission behind SOJO, a platform which allows users to easily book clothes repairs or alterations online with local seamsters, with items delivered via a bicycle service. Founded in 2020, the startup has raised a pre-seed round $2.8m led by Capital T and has partnered with fashion brand Ganni. sojo.uk https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d99a444f-31c9-4708-a38d-68d2bde4d982/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.12.43.png Home The B-Corp-certified repairs and alterations business, founded in 2021 by Drapers 30 Under 30 2024 alumna Josephine Philips, had previously appeared in Selfridges as part of a one-month pop-up concession which ran between May and June 2023. Sojo's new, permanent concession opened on Tuesday (23 January) and is located within the womenswear section on the third floor of the department store, and accepts walk-ins as well as scheduled visits booked through Sojo's websites. Although the concession offers a same-day service for express alterations such as loose hems or button replacements, which can be hand-sewn by a tailor on-site, more complicated repairs and alterations services will be executed at Sojo’s east London studio, with the ready products available to be collected from Selfridges or home-delivered to consumers within a week using Sojo’s emissions-free delivery service. Sojo's Philips said: “We had the most incredible engagement and uptake when we had our one month pop-up at the Selfridges corner shop last year and I’m really excited that we’re now back with a permanent concession to be able to provide an in-person repair and tailoring experience at the heart of London’s retail.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/1b0965b4-73b2-41e1-853e-09c21e8ab24c/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.16.21.png Home Winner: Wearable design of the year 2018. Petit Pli kids clothes were designed by Ryan Mario Yasin to stretch as children grow using a pleating system. Yasin, who is a graduate of the Royal College of Art masters programme in Innovation Design Engineering, created Petit Pli after buying clothes for his nephew that no longer fit by the time they arrived. "Children outgrow their clothes in a matter of a few months, yet we clothe them in miniaturised adult clothing, as opposed to designing them from the ground up. With 11 million children in the UK, I thought it was time we redesigned children's garments," Yasin told Dezeen. Yasin used his background as an aeronautical engineer to devise the pleating system that allows the rainproof garments to "unpack" when pulled, so they stretch bi-directionally to custom fit a range of 7 sizes. The designer hopes that by creating children's clothes that last longer, it will help reduce the huge amount of waste generated by the fashion industry. Petit Pli aims to help create future generations that value longevity and innovation in production. Judges comments: "A sustainable yet elegant design for the most important people in the world." Designer: Petit Pli Project: Clothes that grow with your child Winner of: Wearable design of the year Highly commended for: Design project of the year Headline sponsors Sponsors Gaggenau Logo Partners Media partners dezeen-awards-2021-media-partner-stir dezeen-awards-2021-media-partner-ADF dezeen-awards-2021-media-partner-v2com-newswire Architecture AU NeoCon Logo ACG Media logo NYC X Design Clerkenwell design week logo ICFF Logo Material District logo The World Around Logo Sustainable building mag logo https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/8f93099f-fc13-45bd-9b0a-08d3bab471d6/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.19.08.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/a09b22d2-410c-4ec1-8007-445af5ec0511/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.19.15.png Home https://www.fashionreimagined.co/manifesto daily 0.75 2024-05-07 https://www.fashionreimagined.co/bio daily 0.75 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/143e110b-80b9-4e7b-be95-ce40d13c2d45/EIC.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/fa194e50-b0a7-47dc-9409-c60ed8f89ac9/Irene_M+0123+%C2%A9ivan+weiss.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/fe042d05-cbcd-4cdc-87d0-ea1b6cc4f0d3/ReLondon-UK-OG-logo-on-black-e1614343630876.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/32f1a129-f52b-4544-a551-a504dfa66279/Sustainable-Ventures.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/79255ad9-7f59-47ff-9d66-381c7f56e603/RAE.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/3df2d8a6-36b9-413c-95ff-f140ac9ae902/world+bank+logo.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/ce494fec-7ef4-4699-8edd-686728cf4a5e/FCDO.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/658ff4a1-0807-425f-91f3-f7bfc94a2926/SEA.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/7cbad278-c328-44b9-81e2-f1e4ae512756/BEIS.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/2d5d4806-6a21-4f48-8033-d4750f80aac1/SSP+logo.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/f601c1b7-bb1c-4598-becc-9ce3ea8fa5ec/Mayor_of_London_logo1.svg.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/18c54305-508f-4602-b18c-fbc22a565c97/E4i.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d1fdd9a2-e1ec-45d1-99bc-f6d8cc2c13ae/Alma.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/71ed7af4-a79a-433a-a9d9-8bc997c9cb12/ucl.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/0338ea2d-8b76-4103-9023-2083833a488e/European_Commission.svg.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/0f400a1f-ead5-4019-a97d-533060a3eb2a/PDS+Logo%28final%29%5B100%5D.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/6cfefe49-cd62-4de8-9456-1239200c2811/IC.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/2c53467e-9cb6-47e0-8742-68e31b970916/ge+logo.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/acdb461d-2889-4a0c-bea1-2bd3114aad25/UNDP+logo+right.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/03413968-b3ef-45f0-8484-5d8a0a137caa/CISL.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/08a48583-5a80-46e6-9967-5d673d5b4580/climate_kic_horizontal_logo_jpeg-for-print-scaled.jpeg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/e7f5426a-0c09-4e02-9b00-8a04ee426e36/santander.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/c0bb8795-c792-4791-87f2-c683b782a7bc/carbon+trust.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/06368ffd-65e8-4fa4-8392-695cff11d5f4/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.40.39.png Bio Irene Maffini Thesis title: Crowdfunding public private crowd partnerships (PPCPs): a new policy tool to finance energy access projects in developing countries? Thesis title: Crowdfunding public private crowd partnerships (PPCPs): a new policy tool to finance energy access projects in developing countries? The case of the Department for International Development (DFID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) My academic research interests include exploring the role of crowdfunding to finance clean energy ventures/projects, and the role of the state in crowdfunding public private partnerships (PPPs) for sustainable development. In my PHD thesis, I am investigating the different roles that the international development agencies play in crowdfunding energy access partnerships with private sector and civil society actors. My research goals are to establish whether crowdfunding and PPPs are promising policy tools to catalyse, complement and augment private-sector investment in energy access projects in developing countries and what role the state should play is in these partnerships. My ultimate goal is to produce evidence that can be used by state entities who want to use crowdfunding to finance innovative sustainability projects in the future. Biography Irene Maffini is a part-time PhD student and a part-time early-stage Venture Capital investor, helping sustainability-focussed SMEs to commercialise their technologies and grow. Irene holds a first-class honours MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College (UK) and a double degree in Business & Economics from Northeastern University (US) and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy). Irene has more than 8 years of professional experience working across research, policy, finance and consulting in the field of clean technology commercialisation, incubation and investment, working on innovation programmes for the UK Government, the European Commission, the World Bank, the Swedish Energy Agency, UNDP, Shell and GE. Irene’s clean technology thought leadership professional work has been covered in in the Economist, Daily Telegraph, Times, BBC and leading trade publications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/edb33a2a-78b5-4610-9d55-d944d12e0858/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+20.37.23.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/20b742fe-d6c3-43c0-a5ff-95e95ec94603/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.42.53.png Bio Irene Maffini is a UKERC funded PhD student at Sussex University (SPRU) and a part-time consultant helping cleantech SMEs to commercialise their technologies. Irene works with government institutions to assess innovative projects, and supports development agencies setting up crowdfunding programmes. Irene holds a first-class honours MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College (UK) and a double degree in Business & Economics from Northeastern University (US) and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy). Prior to her PhD, Irene spent seven years working across research, policy, finance and consulting in the field of clean technology commercialisation, incubation and investment, working on innovation programmes for the UK Government, the European Commission, the World Bank, the Swedish Energy Agency, Shell and GE. Irene’s clean technology thought leadership work has been covered in in the Economist, Daily Telegraph, Times, BBC and leading trade publications. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/41c42a34-8a8c-424e-bc62-e9faf690270c/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.08.05.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/cf3ebf36-73bc-40c2-8905-a12f0a0b6ad0/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.41.35.png Bio Irene is an investor focussed on sustainability, next generation materials, manufacturing and circular solutions in the textile industry. Throughout her career, Irene has invested in 38 climatech companies and mentored and advised 100+ sustainability companies on building and scaling globally, supporting them directly to raise £70m+ in funding. Irene is an Expert for the European Commission and European Innovation Council and a Mentor for the Royal Academy of Engineering. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/df8b7e52-84fa-458a-be79-122fb37a28c0/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.08.15.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/8df4f63e-37eb-46d9-998c-890ed2570bf5/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.35.34.png Bio Crowdfunding can give clean technology companies quick access to cheap capital, argues Irene Maffini, New Ventures Manager at The Carbon Trust. In the past clean-tech start-ups would focus on gaining funding from business angels, venture capitalists or large financial institutions, investing large amount of capital with the expectation of a big and quick return. Today digital crowdfunding platforms enable members of the public to invest almost any amount in a wide range of businesses and projects. Some institutional investors remain sceptical, but others are following the crowd. A report from UK Business Angels Association showed 45% of angels[1] now invest via crowdfunding platforms. GE Ventures and the Israeli equity crowdfunding platform OurCrowd co-invested in selected early-stage companies, while established venture capital funds such as Meridian Venture Partners and the Anthemis Group are doing similar things on Seedrs, a UK-based platform. There are more than 700 active crowdfunding platforms worldwide, accessible by more than 90% of the world's online population. The global crowdfunding market is expected to exceed US$90 billion by 2025, which would be almost twice the size of the global venture capital industry today[2], and almost 20 times the size of the global crowdfunding market in 2013[3]. The UK is poised to become the leading crowdfunding market, with London already crowned by the Crowdfunding Centre as the world capital of crowdfunding, thanks to the city’s thriving start-up market and active investor base. This is supported by the UK government’s stance towards innovation in financial services, recognising the crowdfunding industry as the ‘dawn of a new era’ and taking a series of steps to promote growth, including a commitment to invest £5 million through UK equity platform Crowdcube. Despite this huge potential, the market is still in its infancy. This is particularly true for the low-carbon sector, which in 2012 accounted for less than 6% of funding volumes globally, a small percentage of this (or 5%) relating to equity funding.[4] In the UK, only 44% of SMEs were aware of alternative finance models and only 9% of them used crowdfunding to raise funds in 2014[5]. Small clean-tech enterprises find it harder to raise money than companies in other sectors, as their projects often involve higher capital requirements, riskier technologies and longer timeframes to market. Only a few clean-tech companies in the UK have been successful at raising investment through crowdfunding platforms, and only a small fraction of platforms are specifically servicing the low-carbon and clean energy space – such as Abundance Generation in the UK or Mosaic in the US. Success in raising funds from the crowd relies on the ability to generate a positive buzz around an idea. Socially or environmentally responsible ventures can harness the desire of the general public to invest in the sustainable and profitable future they want for the world, and are thus particularly suited to crowdfunding. Despite the inherent risks, as with all investment, there has hardly been a better time to use crowdfunding to start or invest in a clean-tech business or project in the UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/e3d8167a-00d9-49af-aeb4-30ad36c86062/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.10.17.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/1ed76d26-e8e2-4b4a-8d3d-061a21173ea1/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.46.45.png Bio Energy 4 Impact have released their latest report on Crowd Power, a project that aims to gain a deeper understanding of energy related crowdfunding projects in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The report examines the profiles, motivations and challenges of individuals who fund energy access-related crowdfunding campaigns. The report aims to equip entrepreneurs, non-profits, incubators, practitioners, donors, development finance institutions and crowdfunding platforms with a deeper understanding of energy access crowdfunding and the role of interventions to catalyse donations and investments in energy access related crowdfunding. The study is based on data from over 900 individual donors and investors based in over 10 countries. The authors find that there are nuances across, and within, each crowdfunding type – donation, reward, debt and equity. The funder profiles, their motivations and the role of incentives (e.g. match funding, first-loss guarantees) differ between each of the 6 campaign archetypes we investigate in this paper. This work was supported by the UK Department for International Development’s Crowd Power programme. Citation Davinia Cogan, Irene Maffini and Simon Collings (2018) Crowd Power: Who Is the Crowd? Energy4Impact https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/056af122-45ae-42c4-8e37-d0e3f93394b7/Screenshot+2024-07-07+at+21.10.25.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/78dce578-c1e1-4d99-bfea-71562013303b/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+20.34.17.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/682aed17-e299-48ff-a1d3-bab0c683dad6/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+20.32.55.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/44b56c51-f670-4345-9adc-b6ab7a36edf7/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.51.19.png Bio Energy 4 Impact’s research programme Crowd Power examines the role of alternative finance in growing the energy access sector with a particular focus on crowdfunding. Equity crowdfunding only represented a small fraction of energy-access related crowdfunding volumes from 2015 to 2020, but accelerated in 2020 and the first half of 2021, raising a record $11.2 million. This research shows that equity crowdfunding has the potential to make a significant contribution to the equity financing gap faced by early-stage companies in the energy access sector, and explores the associated market, regulatory and policy considerations as well as the potential roles of donors to support this alternative finance channel for energy access companies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/3d7c67f5-e266-48ea-a24e-bc2c3aca607c/Untitled+design+%284%29.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/9ce9d502-78e0-4f86-a85a-d16c7f44ca40/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.53.47.png Bio Missions provide a fertile innovation environment, encouraging bottom-up innovations. Crowdfunding and philanthropic funding could become key in such a context to ‘plug the investment gap’. Crowdfunding could be particularly interesting for missions as they aim to inspire and connect with citizens, potentially raising the opportunity for citizens to engage financially. Different state actors, including national and local governments, and international development agencies, have taken different approaches to crowdfunding in partnership with private actors, with a view of experimenting, ‘learning by doing’ and understanding what works and what does not work20. The hope is to channel more money through crowdfunding as part of their future innovation and aid programmes. However, there are concerns around the risks associated with private citizens investing and potentially losing money. Governments do not want to be perceived as ‘picking winners’ or make mistakes by supporting crowdfunding projects that could fail (see box 10). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/18400691-7dfe-44e6-a4ae-dcb4ecdbffda/Untitled+design+%283%29.png Bio https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d2723a64-07e2-4a0f-ab78-0a3dd014e074/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+18.55.51.png Bio The UK government has put exports at the heart of its Plan for Growth (2011), and in 2012 set an ambitious target to double overall foreign sales to £1 trillion by 2020. This ongoing commitment was reiterated in the 2014 budget, as the Chancellor doubled investment in UK Export Finance (UKEF)’s direct lending scheme to £3 billion. Yet despite these measures, the Office for Budget Responsibility projects net trade will make little contribution to growth up to 2018. This new research by the Carbon Trust and Shell Springboard reveals that the low carbon sector is uniquely poised to unlock growth and create jobs by driving exports, particularly in fast-growing emerging markets. It forecasts that global low carbon exports will cumulatively be worth more than £1 trillion up to 2020 – and that in the same timeframe, the UK has a credible opportunity to triple its exports from £12 billion to around £30 billion and double its share of the global low carbon export market from around 5% to around 10% (similar to the UK’s share of the global pharmaceuticals industry). UK small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the low carbon sector are driving job creation, revenue growth and innovation by exporting SMEs already account for 91.5% of the companies in the UK’s £128 billion domestic low carbon market, and are outperforming their peers – SMEs in the low carbon sector are more than twice as likely to export (45%) than SMEs across all sectors (21%). These low carbon enterprises will therefore play a vital role in fulfilling this export potential – and this new research demonstrates that exporting is materially linked with job and revenue growth for small businesses. For exporting low carbon SMEs: ■■ 64% have hired in the last year (compared to 33% of SMEs across all sectors) with almost half of them hiring as a direct consequence of foreign sales – and more than three quarters are planning to hire staff in the next 12 months (compared to 23% of SMEs across all sectors); ■■ 65% have introduced at least one new product (compared to a cross-sector benchmark of 47%); ■■ 76% have increased revenues in the last two years – and 35% generate at least 50% of their revenues from foreign sales (compared to 21% of SMEs across all sectors). Emerging markets represent a major growth opportunity for SMEs – particularly the MUSTs 67% of exporting low carbon SMEs are already selling their goods and services to emerging economies. They’ve spotted an annual £15 billion export opportunity to the MUST countries – Mexico, the UAE, South Africa and Turkey – and this research identifies these markets as the next group to watch in the low carbon sector. The MUSTs all: ■■ Boast strong domestic demand for low carbon goods and services; ■■ Have favourable regulatory environments; ■■ And outstrip recent powerhouses Brazil, Russia, India and China in ease of doing business. Yet despite their success, low carbon SMEs face disproportionate challenges Although these enterprises are spearheading an untold export success story and are poised to dramatically increase the UK’s slice of the global export pie, our research has revealed that they face challenging barriers: ■■ 24% of low carbon SMEs cited a shortage of working capital to finance exports as the primary barrier to selling overseas; ■■ Early stage funding for such ventures has decreased by almost 50% since 2012; ■■ Identifying the right local partner is another major challenge, although more than 25% of exporting SMEs benefitted from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) support and more than 60% were able to partner with larger companies to help crack export markets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/6c816d93-bb0f-4814-9e89-0969fe5aa727/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+20.56.06.png Bio 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Perhaps less well known is the S/Style showroom, held in the Sala delle Nazione, which each season presents a selection of fresh fashion talents. S/Style was founded in 2020 by curator Giorgia Cantarini, who felt there wasn’t a talent incubator in Italy that focused on responsibility and style in equal measure. The project was created in collaboration with Kering’s Material Innovation Lab (MIL) last year, and hopes to prove the possibilities of new-gen materials as well as use up the fabric and yarns of Kering houses that don’t reach production. “People still think [conscious] materials are ugly. But the designers we’ve selected are the opposite of that because they have great stories behind them, great expertise, great creativity and the desire to do better,” Cantarini says. The showroom features 10 brands from around the world. This season’s line-up is: Domenico Orefice (Italy), Permu (China), Unsung Weavers (Greece), Buzigahill (Uganda), Florania (Italy), Guido Vera (Chile), Tolo (Italy), Caoimhe Dowling (Ireland), Denzil Patrick (UK) and Via Piave 33 (Italy). The designers were hand selected by Cantarini, who attends fashion weeks around the globe searching for talent. They are working with materials ranging from recycled denim, cotton and polyester, to natural dyes and marble dust fabric coatings. Kering funds the project and provides the materials. “We want to support these emerging brands not just commercially, which is very powerful, but also from a communication perspective and a knowledge-sharing perspective,” says MIL director Christian Tubito. Kering gave the brands a series of workshops to help them understand how the group views sustainability and how it’s working with different materials. For the most part, this season’s cohort are relatively small businesses, with revenues below €100,000. Each has been identified for their responsible approach, whether that’s using deadstock or upcycled garments, working with NGOs on social impact, or operating on a seasonless and/or genderless basis in order to eschew the typical fashion calendar. Many work with upcycled fabrics, or prioritise slow, handmade methods, which is proving challenging as they aim to scale and win stockists. With the showroom, Kering hopes to inspire a new generation to work with material innovations like recycled cotton and polyester, alongside their existing practices, to create scalable, responsible luxury. In turn, Tubito hopes this will inspire the adoption of such materials by the industry at large. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/6d2082c3-6046-46f7-a070-47d590a7844d/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+17.46.20.png Media Material science company Fiber has developed the first textile fiber from potato harvest waste. Now, the London-based firm is announcing the completion of its first investment round and a “breakthrough milestone” in creating a yarn from its proprietary fibers. After being awarded several Innovate UK grants totaling £785,000 (roughly $975,000), Fibe successfully closed its approximately $1.25 million pre-seed investment round. Patagonia’s corporate venture arm, Tin Shed Ventures, led the round, while Alante Capital, PDS Ventures, First Imagine! and several angel investors participated. With this funding, the startup will focus on scaling up its process so that Fibe has “all the necessary technical and commercial validation” to bring a competitive fiber to market in the coming years, according to co-founder and CEO Idan Gal-Shohet. “Fibe’s innovation not only avoids emissions from a waste stream with no viable options, but is also poised to produce high quality, lower footprint fibers to help drive the apparel industry’s climate transition,” McKenzie Smith of Tin Shed Ventures said. “We’ve been very impressed with Fibe’s early technical progress and are excited to provide not just investment but also leverage our internal material innovation and commercialization expertise to help accelerate Fibe’s path to market.” Fibe was founded in 2022 to create the most scalable, affordable and sustainable fibers on the market. It leverages agricultural waste streams, namely potato harvest waste, as the leftover stems and leaves of the potato are the largest untapped agricultural feedstock. The unusable organic material can’t be fed to livestock or turned into fertilizer. As such, 150 million tons of waste are “left to rot” without economic value to the farmer or the circular economy. Fibe believes its patent-pending technology can use this waste to replace up to 70 percent of the world’s natural fiber demand. “We are aiming to create an alternative that looks like conventional fibers, feels like conventional fibers and would one day cost the same as these fibers, all with substantial environmental saving and promoting staple food production,” Gal-Shohet said. The firm aims to compensate farmers for this potato waste and will collect it directly from the farmers, developing a transparent supply chain that can trace each fiber to each farm. These potato-based fibers have displayed properties akin to those of cotton and polyester. As an indicator of the material’s softness, Fibe said, the fibers have a similar diameter to cotton—outperforming bast fibers like hemp and linen, meaning the company’s fibers can be used for various applications, such as heavy canvas to lightweight shirts. The fiber’s strength is also allegedly on par with standard natural fibers. And it’s sustainable. By leveraging proprietary fiber extraction technology and waste-stream feedstocks, Fibe said it has created a material with the potential to use 99.7 percent less water, 82 percent fewer carbon emissions and zero land use compared to cotton. Currently, Fibe is developing a “portfolio of technologies” for more efficient extraction of fibers. Its current patent-pending biological process extracts fibers from agricultural waste without harsh chemicals and is “highly tunable” to a brand’s given needs. Considering scalability and price targets, this technology was designed as an end-to-end automated production line. “By working with a crop that has never been used for textiles, let alone valorized, we were forced to rethink from the ground up conventional processes,” David Prior Hope, Fibe’s co-founder and CTO, said. “This has pushed us to create a far more efficient system that requires fewer steps and produces higher quality fibers. The benefit of this is this same process can now be used on other fibrous waste streams and even improves hemp and linen extraction.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/5c659c20-dc16-42ea-baaf-10150b97fbcf/Screenshot+2024-05-17+at+09.40.45.png Media United Kingdom-based DyeRecycle wants to “pioneer” chemical and fiber circularity within the textile industry. The color and fiber innovation firm allegedly developed the first technology to recycle synthetic dyes from textile waste. DyeRecycle offers two solutions: recycled synthetic dye that can achieve industry-standard shades and white dye-free high-value fibers that can be respun into recycled polyester. This “transformative” technology has garnered industry attention. DyeReycycle has received $1.2 million in pre-seed funding and $1 million in equity-free match funding from Innovate UK. This round included participation from PDS Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Evenlode Foundation, Fashion for Good, and a suite of angel investors from the climate and fashion sectors. “One of the key things about our technology is that it’s very timely,” co-founder Dr. Aida Abouelela told Sourcing Journal. “If we had developed this even five years ago, I think the fiber recycling market wouldn’t have been mature enough to have this conversation.” One of the key barriers to effectively recycle textiles is the presence of dyes in the textile waste. Current large-scale mechanical fiber recycling practices sort garments based on color, which limits the final product to dark shades or requires subsequent dyeing steps. DyeRecycle’s technology addresses this challenge by providing decolored fibers. The H&M Foundation Global Change Award winner’s proprietary technology combines the need to recycle dye and fabrics, developing circular solutions for dyeing using textile waste. The circular process uses a unique liquid that selectively extracts dyes from colored waste fabrics. The fabric can then be recycled more effectively. The extracted dye is transferred to new fabrics, creating a new concept of “recycled dyes,” offering a variety of vibrant colors that meet industry demand while maintaining industry standards of color fastness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/12876bfd-9575-4999-b00e-7351824b8b29/Screenshot+2024-04-18+at+17.46.41.png Media Material science company Fiber has developed the first textile fiber from potato harvest waste. Now, the London-based firm is announcing the completion of its first investment round and a “breakthrough milestone” in creating a yarn from its proprietary fibers. After being awarded several Innovate UK grants totaling £785,000 (roughly $975,000), Fibe successfully closed its approximately $1.25 million pre-seed investment round. Patagonia’s corporate venture arm, Tin Shed Ventures, led the round, while Alante Capital, PDS Ventures, First Imagine! and several angel investors participated. With this funding, the startup will focus on scaling up its process so that Fibe has “all the necessary technical and commercial validation” to bring a competitive fiber to market in the coming years, according to co-founder and CEO Idan Gal-Shohet. “Fibe’s innovation not only avoids emissions from a waste stream with no viable options, but is also poised to produce high quality, lower footprint fibers to help drive the apparel industry’s climate transition,” McKenzie Smith of Tin Shed Ventures said. “We’ve been very impressed with Fibe’s early technical progress and are excited to provide not just investment but also leverage our internal material innovation and commercialization expertise to help accelerate Fibe’s path to market.” Fibe was founded in 2022 to create the most scalable, affordable and sustainable fibers on the market. It leverages agricultural waste streams, namely potato harvest waste, as the leftover stems and leaves of the potato are the largest untapped agricultural feedstock. The unusable organic material can’t be fed to livestock or turned into fertilizer. As such, 150 million tons of waste are “left to rot” without economic value to the farmer or the circular economy. Fibe believes its patent-pending technology can use this waste to replace up to 70 percent of the world’s natural fiber demand. “We are aiming to create an alternative that looks like conventional fibers, feels like conventional fibers and would one day cost the same as these fibers, all with substantial environmental saving and promoting staple food production,” Gal-Shohet said. The firm aims to compensate farmers for this potato waste and will collect it directly from the farmers, developing a transparent supply chain that can trace each fiber to each farm. These potato-based fibers have displayed properties akin to those of cotton and polyester. As an indicator of the material’s softness, Fibe said, the fibers have a similar diameter to cotton—outperforming bast fibers like hemp and linen, meaning the company’s fibers can be used for various applications, such as heavy canvas to lightweight shirts. The fiber’s strength is also allegedly on par with standard natural fibers. And it’s sustainable. By leveraging proprietary fiber extraction technology and waste-stream feedstocks, Fibe said it has created a material with the potential to use 99.7 percent less water, 82 percent fewer carbon emissions and zero land use compared to cotton. Currently, Fibe is developing a “portfolio of technologies” for more efficient extraction of fibers. Its current patent-pending biological process extracts fibers from agricultural waste without harsh chemicals and is “highly tunable” to a brand’s given needs. Considering scalability and price targets, this technology was designed as an end-to-end automated production line. “By working with a crop that has never been used for textiles, let alone valorized, we were forced to rethink from the ground up conventional processes,” David Prior Hope, Fibe’s co-founder and CTO, said. “This has pushed us to create a far more efficient system that requires fewer steps and produces higher quality fibers. The benefit of this is this same process can now be used on other fibrous waste streams and even improves hemp and linen extraction.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/ffd2203a-0730-47ce-b07d-ed9de1698d3b/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.57.22.png Media Traditional chemical colourants cause major environmental harm through every stage of their lifecycle, from manufacture to degradation. There is a need for fully sustainable, biodegradable, and circular colourants. The colourants market is worth an estimated $38 billion and is expected to grow to over $100 billion by 2030. Catching up on this growing market is UK-based Sparxell, a developer of high-performance, sustainable, plant-based pigments. Now, Sparxell has raised a $3.2 million funding round (comprising seed investments, grants, and awards). The Circular Innovation Fund, a global venture capital fund jointly managed by Demeter and Cycle Capital with L’Oréal as an anchor investor, participated in the seed funding. SpaceX-backer Future Communities Capital, sustainability-focused investor PDS Ventures, impact investor Katapult, biotech and consumer sectors investor Joyance Partners, and climate investor SNØCAP VC also participated in the round. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d6fa56b5-438a-4af7-bb91-79c66288ea7f/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.59.14.png Media Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think. Imagine disposing of an old pair of shoes by simply composting them. The mycotextile industry is placing a big bet on that future—and redefining the limits of fashion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/0fa54181-cd9c-4937-a8b9-a6ac776c8d03/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.34.01.png Media Biomaterials Company Biofluff Raises $2.5 Million in Seed Round https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/08158302-343e-41f7-81ad-b3db5c9968d1/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+21.38.40.png Media Plastic-free, fake fur made from nettle, hemp and flax fibres envelops these special edition bags that Danish fashion brand Ganni has unveiled at Copenhagen Fashion Week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/519d9ddf-a8ad-49ea-adac-e12945ff32e9/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.03.27.png Media Dutch biotech innovator NEFFA (New Fashion Factory) proudly announces the successful closure of its seed funding round, signalling a significant milestone in its mission to revolutionize the fashion and interior industries through the use of innovative automated, seamless 3D manufacturing technology powered by circular labgrown materials, including the revolutionary mushroom-based MYCOTEX. Founded by Aniela Hoitink, NEFFA has attracted a prestigious consortium of investors, each bringing not only essential funding but also a wealth of industry expertise and influential connections, having extensive experience in biotechnology and fashion. This achievement also reaffirms the trust of NEFFA's current investors, who share the vision of a brighter future for sustainable technology and materials. The seed funding round was spearheaded by the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund, managed by the Cleantech Team of Capricorn Partners, an experienced investment firm in Cleantech and Technology. Collaborating alongside are two of NEFFA's existing institutional investors: the DOEN Foundation and ROM Utrecht Region. The final partner in this stellar consortium is PDS Ventures, a fashion-centric fund committed to fostering a sustainable value chain within the fashion industry. Nicoline van Enter, Co-founder of NEFFA, underscores the alignment between the company's mission and its investors: "NEFFA offers a holistic solution to the sustainability challenges faced by the fashion and interior industries. These sectors grapple not only with material concerns but also supply chain complexities. Our goal is to enable local, on-demand production with customization options and a robust end-of-life system. Having spent considerable time in the fashion industry ourselves, Aniela and I appreciate the multifaceted nature of these issues. Hence, our approach encompasses a full spectrum, from a digital 3D design system to lab-grown natural materials that can be homecomposted, and a zero-waste robotic production line." NEFFA's commitment to translating vision into action is evident through its partnership with German machine producer DESMA. Together, they have already conducted successful tests on a pioneering robotic production cell, leveraging technologies commonly found in current manufacturing processes. This strategic move ensures that NEFFA's innovative system is primed for scalability. The newly secured capital will drive the development of this production line to pilot scale, while simultaneously enhancing the quality and versatility of NEFFA's materials. Aniela Hoitink highlights one of NEFFA's unique advantages: "Distinguishing us from most competitors, we employ liquid biomass, enabling us to construct products in 3D. In the past year, our biochemistry lab has unearthed several promising material compositions previously unexplored, endowing our materials with unparalleled versatility and tactile qualities. The infusion of new funding will allow us to further refine and patent these groundbreaking innovations." The investment in NEFFA marks the first investment for the Dutch Industrial Biotech Seed Fund. As an early-stage Article 9 Fund, it invests in young ventures that use the power of industrial biotech to solve sustainability challenges. Damien van der Bijl, Investment Director at Capricorn Partners: “We truly believe in the holistic approach of NEFFA to tackle the big sustainability challenges of the fashion industry, by offering a fully sustainable material, as well as reductions in waste and water usage. On top of that, the NEFFA method offers designers a whole new universe of possibilities in shapes, textures, and functionality. We really look forward to the exciting products that designers and brands will create with NEFFA!”. Following its initial investment in 2021, ROM Utrecht Region is continuing its support to NEFFA by means of its participation in this new investment round. Juri van Dolderen, Senior Investment Manager at ROM Utrecht Region: “The highly innovative and sustainable supply chain solution by NEFFA has the potential to transform the fashion and interior industry. Our continued commitment shows our appreciation of the considerable development NEFFA has demonstrated since our investment in 2021.” The DOEN Foundation has been supporting NEFFA since 2020. Now its investment arm, DOEN Participaties, comes on board. Noortje van Heijst, Investment Associate at DOEN Participaties says: “DOEN Participaties supports pioneers that are on the forefront of the transition towards a regenerative economy. We are thrilled to continue being part of NEFFA’s journey and their ambition to transform the fashion and interior industries. With its innovation production process NEFFA enables the adoption of alternative, low-impact materials, zero-waste production and local supply chains.” PDS Ventures Irene Maffini states: “We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Aniela, Nicoline, the team, and DESMA. We are particularly excited about the potential for NEFFA as a platform for biomaterials, poised to revolutionize zero-waste, 3D seamless manufacturing across fashion, footwear, and interior applications. NEFFA stands as a catalyst for unlocking unprecedented possibilities at the convergence of materials, on-demand manufacturing, and robotics, marking a new era of innovation and sustainability”. NEFFA's successful seed funding round not only marks a significant step forward for the company but also reaffirms the growing momentum of sustainable solutions within the fashion and interior industries. As NEFFA continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, the global community can look forward to a more sustainable, customizable, and environmentally conscious future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/ae623676-0267-491e-88bf-b6a8317e82c6/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.07.17.png Media Mango’s new eco-conscious ethos has inspired the Spanish retailer to add a new fiber to its material matrix. For the first time in its nearly 40-year history, the Barcelona brand will introduce a capsule collection of products featuring regenerative cotton, available for purchase in the second half of next year. This sustainable step was made possible by teaming with Materra, a British-Indian company focused on designing scalable solutions to grow and source climate-resilient, transparent and equitable cotton, for a two-year collaboration. Additionally, the fast-fashion brand will leverage Materra’s digital platform to trace the journey of its cotton through the value chain. That mobile and web app, Co:Farm, syndicates implementation support and personal agronomy for farmers and generates primary Tier 4 impact data for brands. Mango said Co:Farm will provide “unprecedented levels” of transparency, allowing the retailer to oversee more than 300 data points covering environmental, social and economic elements like soil health, fertility, irrigation type and practices, nutrient management and sowing details, in real-time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/435be2a0-244a-4703-a95c-61a8db0952a4/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.20.41.png Media As COS invests in the pioneering technology company Materra, its co-founders talk us through their ground-breaking innovation: greenhouse-grown cotton. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/11ffb030-6113-43e6-99ed-d0857d36ea69/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.08.58.png Media • Seed investment and EIC grant combined, the startup is tapping into €4.7M to boost production in 2023 and increase tenfold its disassembly capacity in 2024. • Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, highlighted the importance of funding circular entrepreneurship in a visit to the startup’s warehouse in Brussels. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/12dc4780-96d7-4156-8896-b6ff2b8b3403/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.05.46.png Media For the AMPHIBIO LTD team which developed AMPHITEX, winning the Terra Carta Design Lab allows us to kick-start the recycling pilot with our partners and fully complete our circular material and textile value proposition. Part of the prize will also be used to develop bio-based feedstock that can be integrated with our current raw material without compromising the recyclability, with the goal to reach carbon neutral or even carbon negative with our outdoor performance textile.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/42da26f9-808f-4441-a851-70d5ad9c8048/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.14.35.png Media dyerecycle wins H&M global awards https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/de4b054f-caa2-441a-a734-f334f44e9cb1/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.11.08.png Media The Hottest Startups in London SEARCH Security Politics Gear Backchannel Business Science Culture Ideas Merch Podcasts Video Newsletters Magazine Events WIRED Insider WIRED Consulting Jobs Coupons JOÃO MEDEIROS STARTUPSDEC 18, 2023 7:00 AM The Hottest Startups in London London's tech sector is rising above the country's political distractions as Britain tries to maintain its status as a tech leader. Image may contain City Logo Stencil and Text ILLUSTRATION: WIRED STAFF UK PRIME MINISTER Rishi Sunak always had a propensity to style himself as the “tech bro” politician. Such branding is not restricted to pensive, hoodie-sporting profile pictures: In November, the UK hosted the first AI Safety Summit—complete with a cozy fireside chat between Sunak and Elon Musk. The UK government has also launched a DARPA-type agency called ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency), financing it to the tune of £800 million over four years. In July, chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £50 billion in pension funding to scaleups by 2030. The question now is whether the formidable British tech economy can retain its prime spot in the global arena—earlier in 2023, when Andreessen Horowitz and OpenAI announced the opening of their first offices outside the US, both opted for London—while the rest of the UK economy shows symptoms of inexorable decline. Part of that challenge will depend on a functioning government. Westminster, however, continues to show signs of being chronically preoccupied with its ongoing psychodrama. The highlight of Sunak’s opening speech at London Tech Week, for example, was not what he said about AI or tech regulation. Instead, it was his timid criticism of Boris Johnson over yet another political scandal. Fuse Alan Chang decided to launch renewable energy startup Fuse for a simple reason: “I was extremely frustrated by the lack of progress of our net zero transition,” he says. “So I decided I will become part of the solution.” Founded in 2022 with fellow Revolut alumni Charles Orr, Fuse is a renewable energy supplier that, according to Chang, provides customers with the UK’s cheapest electricity tariff as well as allowing them to track in real-time their electricity’s consumption and provenance. The startup has raised $78M, from investors including Balderton Capital, Lakestar, and Accel, and is currently building solar farms on unused land and rooftops. Their plans for the next year? “Fuse is building a one-stop shop to electrify your home and business,” Chang says. New features will include the installation and financing of solar panels and electric vehicles chargers. fuseenergy.com SOJO In July, the CEO of SOJO, Josephine Philips, spoke at a TED summit about how “learning how to value things correctly is a climate solution.” “It was in the context of clothing, but the premise can be extrapolated to society as we look at our culture of overconsumption and hyper-disposability,” she says. It’s a topic that has interested her since university. “I began shopping second-hand, but found that so often the clothes didn't fit me or they needed to be repaired—but I had no idea how to sew,” she says. Modernizing and digitizing the tailoring industry is the mission behind SOJO, a platform which allows users to easily book clothes repairs or alterations online with local seamsters, with items delivered via a bicycle service. Founded in 2020, the startup has raised a pre-seed round $2.8m led by Capital T and has partnered with fashion brand Ganni. sojo.uk https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d99a444f-31c9-4708-a38d-68d2bde4d982/Screenshot+2024-04-16+at+22.12.43.png Media The B-Corp-certified repairs and alterations business, founded in 2021 by Drapers 30 Under 30 2024 alumna Josephine Philips, had previously appeared in Selfridges as part of a one-month pop-up concession which ran between May and June 2023. Sojo's new, permanent concession opened on Tuesday (23 January) and is located within the womenswear section on the third floor of the department store, and accepts walk-ins as well as scheduled visits booked through Sojo's websites. Although the concession offers a same-day service for express alterations such as loose hems or button replacements, which can be hand-sewn by a tailor on-site, more complicated repairs and alterations services will be executed at Sojo’s east London studio, with the ready products available to be collected from Selfridges or home-delivered to consumers within a week using Sojo’s emissions-free delivery service. Sojo's Philips said: “We had the most incredible engagement and uptake when we had our one month pop-up at the Selfridges corner shop last year and I’m really excited that we’re now back with a permanent concession to be able to provide an in-person repair and tailoring experience at the heart of London’s retail.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/d2e41f7a-42fa-4213-8373-b7803b32dda4/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.22.59.png Media SOJO is the clothing alterations and repair platform for people and businesses, built on the belief that a sustainable fashion future is possible. We’ve now partnered with SOJO to offer FREE bespoke services on your GANNI items. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/be9feedc-2fee-4c6b-83eb-6bb7f13b89e6/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.13.56.png Media Ray of Hope Prize Goes to Sparxell for Colours Made from Plant-Based Cellulose Sparxell, a UK-based startup creating the next generation of colours and effects with vibrant, metal-like pigments, all from plant-based cellulose has been awarded the 2023 Ray of Hope Prize. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/1d20ee12-45b3-4c04-832d-74711b570ad4/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.16.21.png Media Winner: Wearable design of the year 2018. Petit Pli kids clothes were designed by Ryan Mario Yasin to stretch as children grow using a pleating system. Yasin, who is a graduate of the Royal College of Art masters programme in Innovation Design Engineering, created Petit Pli after buying clothes for his nephew that no longer fit by the time they arrived. "Children outgrow their clothes in a matter of a few months, yet we clothe them in miniaturised adult clothing, as opposed to designing them from the ground up. With 11 million children in the UK, I thought it was time we redesigned children's garments," Yasin told Dezeen. Yasin used his background as an aeronautical engineer to devise the pleating system that allows the rainproof garments to "unpack" when pulled, so they stretch bi-directionally to custom fit a range of 7 sizes. The designer hopes that by creating children's clothes that last longer, it will help reduce the huge amount of waste generated by the fashion industry. Petit Pli aims to help create future generations that value longevity and innovation in production. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/efe629f5-344c-4ca3-8252-c04a15daa0ba/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.19.08.png Media When it comes to stemming the spread of COVID-19, there’s probably no more important item than the face mask, which, according to the CDC, prevents respiratory droplets from traveling into the air—and onto other people—when we sneeze, cough, talk or raise our voice. It’s certainly the one consumer product that defines 2020. And while any number of variations could be considered a “best invention,” three impressed us most. From top: B2 Mask by Breathe99 is a flexible, rubber-like face piece that holds two replaceable filters that remove about 99.6% of ­particles—and the mask is machine-washable ($59.99 mask; $7.99 filters). [MSK] by Petit Pli uses a fabric made of recycled plastic bottles woven into a patent-­pending origami-like pattern to create a comfortable fit that works for every face ($38). RunMask by IAMRUNBOX uses the materials associated with athletic clothes—organic cotton, spandex and ­polyester—to create a mask that stays cool and comfortable during workouts ($39). —Marjorie Korn Buy now: B2 Mask, Pli Mask, RunMask https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fa020b0562def0dd4780b7f/8701e6ed-4b27-4dd6-81e3-801a4060cff5/Screenshot+2024-05-06+at+22.19.15.png Media When it comes to stemming the spread of COVID-19, there’s probably no more important item than the face mask, which, according to the CDC, prevents respiratory droplets from traveling into the air—and onto other people—when we sneeze, cough, talk or raise our voice. It’s certainly the one consumer product that defines 2020. And while any number of variations could be considered a “best invention,” three impressed us most. From top: B2 Mask by Breathe99 is a flexible, rubber-like face piece that holds two replaceable filters that remove about 99.6% of ­particles—and the mask is machine-washable ($59.99 mask; $7.99 filters). [MSK] by Petit Pli uses a fabric made of recycled plastic bottles woven into a patent-­pending origami-like pattern to create a comfortable fit that works for every face ($38). RunMask by IAMRUNBOX uses the materials associated with athletic clothes—organic cotton, spandex and ­polyester—to create a mask that stays cool and comfortable during workouts ($39). —Marjorie Korn Buy now: B2 Mask, Pli Mask, RunMask https://www.fashionreimagined.co/events daily 0.75 2025-03-14