Solena Materials secures $6.7 million investment scale production of sustainable protein fibers
Liam Ives, a senior materials scientist at Solena Materials, creates fibres from synthetic proteins. Credits: Jack Taylor. Biomaterials company Solena Materials, which is currently developing novel protein fibers for high-performance apparel, has raised 6.7 million dollars in seed funding. The investment round was supported by investors including Sir David Harding, SynBioVen, and Insempra. Leveraging AI-driven protein design, the Solena Materials engineers custom fibers that combine durability, softness, and biodegradability. With this new funding, Solena Materials is positioned to accelerate its scaling efforts and bring its next-generation textile solutions closer to commercial application. Solena Materials is currently developing bio-based alternatives to conventional performance textiles, offering the apparel sector a more sustainable option to widely used petrochemical-derived materials, which are non-biodegradable and contribute to plastic pollution, particularly through manufacturing processes and microfibre shedding during garment laundering. The newly secured funding will support Solena Materials' transition to larger-scale facilities, assisting the company to expand its intellectual property portfolio and begin commercial collaborations with partners in the fashion and textile industries. Solena Materials aims to bring its first product to market in partnership with a brand within the next three years. "This investment is a strong vote of confidence in our mission to deliver the next generation of textile fibres," said Dr James MacDonald, co-founder and CEO of Solena Materials, in a statement. "This funding will help us expand production capacity, reduce costs, and begin collaborating with partners to launch products made with Solena fibres. It marks an exciting step towards a future where sustainability and performance go hand in hand." Founded in 2022 as a spinout from Imperial College London by Dr. James MacDonald, Professor Paul Freemont, and Professor Milo Shaffer, Solena Materials merges artificial intelligence with bio-based manufacturing to pioneer the next generation of textile innovation. The company's proprietary protein fibres are engineered from first principles using advanced deep neural networks and custom software platforms. A molecular-level design approach, it allows for precise control over key performance characteristics, such as tensile strength, elasticity, biodegradability, and functional attributes, opening up new frontiers for technical textiles and sustainable apparel development. "Investing in Solena Materials aligns perfectly with Insempra's mission to drive a regenerative revolution by developing sustainable, high-performance ingredients with nature," said Jens Klein, Solena Materials Chairman of the Board and Insempra CEO, in a statement. "We are excited to accelerate Solena's innovative approach to creating biodegradable, non-oil-derived fibres that have the potential to transform the textile industry."
Biomaterials company Solena Materials, which is currently developing novel protein fibers for high-performance apparel, has raised 6.7 million dollars in seed funding. The investment round was supported by investors including Sir David Harding, SynBioVen, and Insempra.
Leveraging AI-driven protein design, the Solena Materials engineers custom fibers that combine durability, softness, and biodegradability. With this new funding, Solena Materials is positioned to accelerate its scaling efforts and bring its next-generation textile solutions closer to commercial application.
Solena Materials is currently developing bio-based alternatives to conventional performance textiles, offering the apparel sector a more sustainable option to widely used petrochemical-derived materials, which are non-biodegradable and contribute to plastic pollution, particularly through manufacturing processes and microfibre shedding during garment laundering.
The newly secured funding will support Solena Materials' transition to larger-scale facilities, assisting the company to expand its intellectual property portfolio and begin commercial collaborations with partners in the fashion and textile industries. Solena Materials aims to bring its first product to market in partnership with a brand within the next three years.
"This investment is a strong vote of confidence in our mission to deliver the next generation of textile fibres," said Dr James MacDonald, co-founder and CEO of Solena Materials, in a statement. "This funding will help us expand production capacity, reduce costs, and begin collaborating with partners to launch products made with Solena fibres. It marks an exciting step towards a future where sustainability and performance go hand in hand."
Founded in 2022 as a spinout from Imperial College London by Dr. James MacDonald, Professor Paul Freemont, and Professor Milo Shaffer, Solena Materials merges artificial intelligence with bio-based manufacturing to pioneer the next generation of textile innovation.
The company's proprietary protein fibres are engineered from first principles using advanced deep neural networks and custom software platforms. A molecular-level design approach, it allows for precise control over key performance characteristics, such as tensile strength, elasticity, biodegradability, and functional attributes, opening up new frontiers for technical textiles and sustainable apparel development.
"Investing in Solena Materials aligns perfectly with Insempra's mission to drive a regenerative revolution by developing sustainable, high-performance ingredients with nature," said Jens Klein, Solena Materials Chairman of the Board and Insempra CEO, in a statement. "We are excited to accelerate Solena's innovative approach to creating biodegradable, non-oil-derived fibres that have the potential to transform the textile industry."
