Werewool raises millions in seed funding
US start-up Werewool has achieved $3.7 million in seed funding in a round led by venture capitalists Material Impact and Sofinnova Partners.
The company develops plastic-free, naturally coloured and inherently fluorescent “regenerative” fibres by brewing custom-engineered proteins using microbes. It says its patent-pending platform technology can help circumvent use of extractive raw materials and harmful dyestuffs, although it does not currently reveal the composition of its fibres online.
Last month, Werewool took home the Elle & Polestar Design Towards Zero Award following a gala hosted by the fashion title's Swedish edition in Stockholm on April 21. It was similarly ranked among the winners of Conservation X Labs’ Microfiber Innovation Challenge last year, having previously received around $270,000 (€250,000) from H&M Foundation after being named one of its Global Change Award winners in 2020.
Co-founder and chief executive, Chui-Lian Lee, commented: “Our mission as a company is to make the fashion industry compatible with nature. Our team looks at the textile industry holistically, considering the end of life at the beginning of life – our goal is for our fibres to decompose into nutrients for a healthier ecosystem.
“We are excited to be growing and are [now] looking to fill key leadership roles in the company with people who can contribute to our team’s vision for a truly circular textile economy.”
Werewool originally began as a Biodesign project at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2018.
Image: Werewool.
