Selected from hundreds of applicants, these ‘pioneers’ are early to growth-stage companies that use new technologies and could have “a significant impact” on business and society. 

US-based NFW’s platform uses a closed-loop chemistry process to engineer new yarn structures from waste and virgin plant fibres. It is scaling circular materials solutions for fashion, footwear and home applications.

NFW will contribute to WEF initiatives over the next two years. It said it wants to create a textile supply chain fuelled entirely by natural materials.

NFW CEO Luke Haverhals said: “The textiles industry is far too dependent on petroleum and plastic, which simply can’t scale to sustainably nurture life on earth. Regenerative agriculture and plants are inexhaustible in their abundance and ability to meet the needs of the world’s population. We’ve always focused on creating materials that free product designers from the plastic supply chain without compromising performance or limiting creativity.”

French company Carbios was also named a WEF Technology Pioneer for 2021. Carbios’ enzymatic recycling technology deconstructs PET plastic waste into its basic components, which can then be reused to produce new PET plastics.

Image: Natural Fibre Welding