Fibe Textile Potato Fibers Company Won the Manufacturing Futures Prize
The Fashion District 2024 Manufacturing Futures award went to Fibe, a material science business creating the first textile fibers in history from potato harvest waste. Fibe also got GBP15,000 in prize money.
“I’m excited about winning the Manufacturing Futures prize. I’ve known many startups in this program 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 can 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,” Idan Gal-Shohet, co-founder of Fibe, commented.
Fibe was established to use agricultural waste streams to produce the most scalable, economical, and sustainable textile fibers on the planet. Extracting fibers from potato crop waste is now the natural choice due to these guiding principles. The largest underutilized agricultural feedstock in the world is the leftover potato stems and leaves. This useless organic stuff is now ground up and burned; it can’t be used as fertilizer or given to animals. Because of this, 150 million tonnes of garbage are allowed to rot and have no commercial use for farmers or the circular economy. Fibe’s patent-pending technology has the potential to replace up to 70% of the global need for natural fiber.
Fibe’s potato-based textiles are widely available and have distinct qualities that make them comparable to traditional fibers like polyester and cotton. The fibers outperform bast fibers like hemp and linen in terms of softness, with a diameter similar to cotton. This makes them suitable for a range of uses, such as light, breathable shirts, and hefty canvas. The strength of the fiber is comparable to that of typical natural fibers.
By utilizing exclusive fiber extraction techniques and waste-stream feedstocks, Fibe has produced a material that, when compared to cotton, may require 99.7% less water, 82% less carbon emissions, and no land.
Fibe is creating a range of technologies that will enable fiber extraction to be done more effectively. With only a few simple processes and no harsh chemicals, the company’s unique, patent-pending biological approach harvests fibers from agricultural waste in a way that can be extensively customized to meet the needs of individual brands. The system is intended to function as an automated production line from start to finish, meeting the company’s cost and scalability goals.
After being awarded multiple Innovate UK grants totaling GBP785,000, Fibe has successfully closed its GBP1m pre-seed investment round. Tin Shed Ventures, Patagonia’s corporate venture arm, led the round with participation from Alante Capital, PDS Ventures, First Imagine!, and multiple angel investors. The rise is a testament to the industry’s belief in the company’s vision and its ability to deliver a true mass-scale replacement to the industry’s conventional fibers.
