Amsterdam – From biodegradable glitter to fabrics made from seaweed or orange fibres – these are the next generation innovators that will be supported by the Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator.
As of today, fifteen selected start-ups will follow a robust curriculum over the next twelve weeks including mentorship from the Accelerator’s partners adidas, C&A, Galeries Lafayette, Kering, Target and Zalando, with the aim to transform the fashion industry for good.
The Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator works to find and accelerate innovative technologies and business models that have the greatest potential to reshape the industry for good. The third batch of start-ups of the Accelerator Programme starts today 19 March in the Fashion for Good hub in Amsterdam.
The fifteen startups partaking in Batch 3 have been carefully selected out of hundreds of applicants, and come from all over the world covering 4 continents and 10 nationalities. They represent varied supply chain areas from alternative raw materials to new business models. For the next twelve weeks, the Accelerator’s partners and mentors will drive market validation of the innovators’ technologies, to prime them for implementation at scale. In addition, the start-ups are screened for potential funding to support development of their businesses.
The selected start-ups for the third edition of the Accelerator Programme are:
Algiknit, BioGlitz, circular.fashion, FLOCUS, Frumat, Good on You, Mango Materials, Nano Textile, Orange Fiber, PAPTIC, PlanetCare, Provenance, Reverse Resources, Scalable Garment Technologies and Style Lend.
Fashion for Good was launched in 2017 and is supported by C&A Foundation as a founding partner. The Accelerator Programme is part of Fashion for Good’s Innovation Platform, which also includes a Scaling Programme and the Good Fashion Fund. The Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator is run in collaboration with Plug and Play – the world’s largest accelerator – and corporate partners adidas, C&A, Galeries Lafayette, Kering, Target and Zalando. Together they are championing the replicable and scalable innovations that will accelerate the transition to a circular fashion industry.
Graduation of the startups will take place on June 14th at the Fashion for Good hub in Amsterdam, where they will showcase their innovations to an audience of industry leaders and investors.
Third Batch Start-ups
Algiknit – Algiknit produces textile fibres extruded from kelp, a variety of seaweed. The extrusion process turns the biopolymer mixture into kelp-based thread that can be knitted or 3D printed to minimize waste. The final knitwear is biodegradable and can be dyed with natural pigments in a closed loop cycle.
BioGlitz – BioGlitz produces the world’s first biodegradable glitter. Based on a unique biodegradable formula made from eucalyptus tree extract, the eco-glitter is fully biodegradable, compostable and allows for the sustainable consumption of glitter without the environmental damage associated with micro plastics.
circular.fashion – circular.fashion has created a software that interconnects circular design, circular retail models and closed loop recycling technologies enables fashion brands to design circular garments. Circular clothes are attributed an identification tag that orchestrates a reverse supply chain network of consumers, sorting and recycling companies to close the loop to regenerated textiles.
FLOCUS – FLOCUS produces natural yarns, fillings and fabrics made from kapok fibres.
The kapok tree can be naturally grown without the use of pesticides and insecticide in arid soil not suitable for agricultural farming, offering a sustainable alternative to high water consumption natural fibre crops such as cotton.
Frumat – Frumat uses apples to create a leather-like material. Apple pectin is an industrial waste product which can be used to create sustainable materials that are totally compostable whilst still being durable enough to create luxury accessories. The materials can be dyed naturally and tanned without chemically intensive techniques.
Good on You – Good on You is a mobile app that provides ethical ratings for about 1,000 fashion brands rated on their impact on people, the planet and animals. It is built on a robust brand rating system which aggregates standards, certifications and publically available data sources into a simple, accessible 5-point score to promote transparency across the fashion industry and to allow customers to make conscious purchasing decisions.
Mango Materials – Mango Materials produces biodegradable bio-polyester that can be used as a sustainable alternative to the present polyester utilized in the fashion industry. Microfibres produced from the biopolyester can biodegraded in many environments, including landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and the oceans helping to prevent microfibre pollution and contributing to a closed-loop bio economy for the fashion industry.
Nano Textile – Nano Textile offers a sustainable alternative to binder chemicals normally used to attach finishes onto a fabric. Its technology embeds fabric finishes directly into fabric using a process called Cavitation and can apply to a range of products such as antibacterial & antiodor finishes or water repellency. This protects the end-user and the environment from the leaking of hazardous chemicals.
Orange Fiber – Orange Fiber manufactures natural fabrics from citrus by-products. Orange Fiber is made by extracting the cellulose from the fibres that are discarded from the industrial pressing and processing of oranges. The fibre, through nanotechnology techniques, is enriched with citrus fruit essential oils, creating a unique and sustainable fabric.
PAPTIC – PAPTIC manufactures bio-based alternative packaging materials that are made from sustainably sourced wood fibres. The material has the unique properties of paper and plastic commonly used in the retail sector, but with a much higher tear resistance than paper. The material can be recycled alongside cardboard.
PlanetCare – PlanetCare has developed a microfibre filter to be integrated in washing machines, that can capture microplastics before they are released in wastewater. The system works on the microfiltration of water based on electrically charged fibres and membrane nanotechnology. This technology contributes to reducing microplastics pollution ending up in the ocean.
Provenance Biofabrics – Provenance bio-engineers a true leather equivalent by programming the self-assembly of collagen molecules the building blocks of leather. This next generation fabric delivers an efficient and sustainable alternative to leather without harming animals.
Reverse Resources – Reverse Resources is a platform that enables fashion brands and garment manufacturers to address pre-consumer waste for industrial upcycling. The Software as a Service (SaaS) platform allows fabric and garment factories to map and measure leftover fabrics and scraps so that these become traceable through their
following life cycles. By mapping the waste material in the factory, these resources can eventually be reintroduced into the supply chain, limiting the use of virgin materials.
Scalable Garment Technologies Inc. – Scalable Garment Technologies Inc. (SGTI) has built a robotic knitting machine linked with 3D modelling software to make custom seamless knit garments. This new knitting technology enables digitization of the entire production process and on-demand manufacturing of custom seamless knit garments. This allows responsiveness to consumer demand while reducing waste.
Style Lend – Style Lend is a fashion rental marketplace. AI and machine learning is used to match users based on fit, as well as style. By renting out garments consumers can extend the life cycle of clothing and delay it from going into landfills.
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Notes to Editors
About Fashion for Good
Fashion for Good is the global initiative that is here to make all fashion good. We are a global platform for innovation, made possible through collaboration and community. With an open invitation to the entire apparel industry, Fashion for Good convenes brands, producers, retailers, suppliers, non-profit organisations, innovators and funders united in their shared ambition.
At the core of Fashion for Good is our innovation platform. Through our Fashion for Good-Plug and Play Accelerator, we give promising start-up innovators the expertise and access to funding they need in order to grow. Our Scaling Programme supports innovations that have passed the proof-of-concept phase, with a dedicated team that offers bespoke support and access to expertise, customers and capital. Finally, our Good Fashion Fund (in development) will catalyse access to finance where this is required to shift at scale to more sustainable production methods.
Additionally, Fashion for Good acts as a convener for change. From its first hub in Amsterdam, it houses a Circular Apparel Community co-working space, creates open-source resources like its Good Fashion Guide and welcomes visitors to join a collective movement to make fashion a force for good.
Fashion for Good was launched in 2017 with C&A Foundation as a founding partner. Its programmes are supported by corporate partners adidas, C&A, Galeries Lafayette Group, Kering, Target, Zalando, as well as organisations including the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative, Impact Hub Amsterdam, McDonough Innovation, Plug and Play and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.
About Plug and Play
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we have built accelerator programs, corporate innovation services, and an in-house VC to make technological advancement progress faster than ever before. Since inception in 2006, our programs have expanded worldwide to include a presence in 28 locations globally giving startups the necessary resources to succeed in Silicon Valley and beyond. With over 6,000 startups and 220 official corporate partners, we have created the ultimate startup ecosystem in many industries. We provide active investments with 200 leading Silicon Valley VCs, and host more than 700 networking events per year. Companies in our community have raised over $7 billion in funding, with successful portfolio exits including Danger, Dropbox, Lending Club, PayPal, SoundHound, and Zoosk.
Press Contact
Fashion for Good
Anne-Ro Klevant Groen
+31(0)6 15367875
Accelerator Contact
Plug and Play
Isabelle Laurencin
accelerator@fashionforgood.com
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