New biotech protein fibre in the works - sportstextiles: Lea SportsTextiles

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New biotech protein fibre in the works

09/05/2025
New biotech protein fibre in the works
Solena Materials, an Imperial College London spin-off, has announced that it has raised £5.1 million ($6.7 million) in a seed funding round backed by British billionaire Sir David Harding. This follows up on a prior funding campaign that brought in £3.1 million ($4.1 million) in 2022.

The start-up was founded that same year by Dr James MacDonald and professors Paul Freemont and Milo Shaffer. It claims to combine artificial intelligence with synthetic biology to develop ‘bespoke proteins’ that can be tuned to make textile fibres having various properties.

The new funds will enable Solena to expand its facility, add to its IP portfolio and begin working with possible customers in fashion and textiles. The company believes it could launch its first product with a partner brand within three years.

“This investment is a strong vote of confidence in our mission to deliver the next generation of textile fibres,” said Solena Materials co-founder and CEO Dr James MacDonald.

Photo by Jack Taylor shows Solena Materials senior materials scientist Liam Ives

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