News
Werewool Raises $3.7M in Seed Funding
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Werewool raised $3.7 million led by Material Impact and Sofinnova Partners
Werewool is Design Towards Zero Award Winner
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Werewool was announced the winner of The ELLE & Polestar Design Towards Zero Award.
Kintra Fibers Raises $8M Series A Funding
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Kintra Fibers raised $8 million in Series A funding, partners with Bestseller, Inditex, H&M and Reformation in a commercial pilot.
“Allbirds says its net-zero carbon shoe is here” featuring biopolymer from Mango Materials
Allbirds unveiled a new sneaker with a net footprint of 0.0kg of C02 emissions. Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner Mango Materials’ biopolymer is one of three materials to be featured in the shoe.
Tandem Repeat Raises $3M to Produce Natural Fibers from Plants
Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner Tandem Repeat raised $3 million in funding, led by Climate Capital, Prithvi Ventures, Foodhack, New Canaan Impact Capital, and federal grants.
Spinnova Named in TIME’s Best Inventions of 2022 list
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Spinnova was named in TIME’s Best Inventions List as a groundbreaking innovations that will change how we live.
NFW and Allbirds Partner to Launch a Plastic-Free Plant-Based Leather Sneaker
Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner NFW partnered with Allbirds to launch the “Plant Pacer,” their first plastic-free plant-based leather sneaker.
Spinnova Wins Engineer Invention of the Year
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Spinnova was awarded the Engineer Invention of the Year at the Finnish Engineer Gala.
The Conscious Fashion Campaign Features Kintra Fibers during New York Fashion Week
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Alissa Baier-Lentz, Co-Founder and COO of Kintra Fibers, was featured in the Conscious Fashion Campaign: NYFW September 2022 edition.
A new adidas hoodie made with Spinnova technology lands in stores
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist Spinnova partnered with adidas to bring a new product, the TERREX hoodie, into stores.
Sea Technology: A Grand Challenge to Address Microplastics
Dr. Barbara Martinez from Conservation X Labs writes about the Microfiber Innovation Challenge in the July 2022 edition of Sea Technology.
Inside the Microfiber Innovation Challenge Solutions Fair
Entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, and environmentalists from around the world came together this June to Under Armour’s global headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland for the Microfiber Innovation Challenge Solutions Fair to work towards creating a more sustainable textile industry.
AlgiKnit Closes $13 Million Series A To Transform the Textile Industry's Environmental Impact
Microfiber Innovation Challenge finalist AlgiKnit closed its $13 million Series A and officially opened its brand new facility in North Carolina's Research Triangle area to expedite scaling of yarn production and to meet global demand for nature-driven solutions against climate change.
Werewool featured on “The Future Of” Series on Netflix
Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner Werewool was featured on a new Netflix series about the future of everything. Werewool’s Co-Founder & CSO, Theanne Schiros, along with researcher Yueh-Ting Chiu is featured in “The Future of Fashion” episode.
NFW closes $85 million Series B to scale naturally circular materials
Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner Natural Fiber Welding has raised $85 million in funding to scale production of high-performance, all-natural, circular materials products coming to market with a wide array of global brand partners.
MTIX Ltd. Completes First Phase of Installation of MLSE® Platform for PANGAIA
Microfiber Innovation Challenge winner PANGAIA x MTIX completed the first physical installation of their technology.
Conduct Science Podcast
Dr. Barbara Martinez from Conservation X Labs and Krystle Moody-Wood from Materevolve return to the Conduct Science Podcast to give an update and announce the winners of the Microfiber Innovation Challenge.
Five game-changing innovations share $525,000 prize to end microplastic pollution
A panel of seven judges made up of representatives from the clothing industry, materials scientists, conservationists, and investors, selected the winners based on criteria that included feasibility, potential for growth, environmental impact, and novelty of their approach.
Companies race to stem flood of microplastic fibres into the oceans
New products range from washing machine filters and balls to fabrics made from kelp and orange peel
Year in Review: Sustainability’s New Strides
“There are exciting innovations for clothing production that are designed to have less of an environmental impact after its intended use; for example, fibers and fabrics designed to: be collected and mechanically or chemically recycled back into new textiles; biodegrade (under specific conditions); or compost into non-toxic constituents,” Barbara Martinez, open innovation director at Conservation X Labs, a technology and innovation hub based in Washington, D.C., told WWD.