Material innovator MycoTEX has received its first significant investment courtesy of ifund and the ROM Utrecht Region. This funding is expected to help the start-up further develop both its materials and production methods, in order to realize a pilot collection in 2022.

Winner of 2018’s H&M’s Global Innovation Award, MycoTEX touts itself as the “only 3D manufacturing method allowing for seamless and custom products grown from home compostable mushroom roots.” Meaning it’s not just a material maker, but a manufacturing innovator as well.

MycoTEX has built a “seamless production technology” that helps brands in fashion, automotive, and interior design create custom-fit products out of sustainable, vegan textiles made from mycelium, the root structure of mushroom roots. This method comes with a number of benefits, both for MycoTEX partners and the environment, including the reduction of costs, waste and labor-intensity of cut-and-sew operations, as well as the reduction of materials made with fossil fuels and animal-derived leathers. Best of all, the end product is compostable, creating a closed loop.

Thanks to this new investment, MycoTEX will be able to expand on both the technical and commercial side, with a focus on the further development of its material and greater optimization of its production method. Ultimately, the goal is to create a first pilot collection, which is envisioned for next year.

“By focusing solely on material improvements, we cannot close the loop in the fashion industry,” explains Aniela Hoitink, CEO of MycoTEX. “This can be achieved only by changing the production chains. In doing so, we have no time to lose, and therefore we are delighted that ifund and the ROM Utrecht Region show the courage and vision to push for disruptive innovation, and we look forward to our cooperation.”

We’re excited to see what’s next for MycoTEX, as a company that’s not only innovating in the material space, but doing so with 3D manufacturing that saves on cost and waste. To read more about MycoTEX, head over to mycotex.nl.

In other material manufacturing news, check out our latest podcast episode where we discuss regenerative agriculture and how its relates to fashion and footwear.