GFA reveals trailblazer finalists - sportstextiles: Lea SportsTextiles

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GFA reveals trailblazer finalists

04/03/2026
GFA reveals trailblazer finalists
Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), with its investment partner PDS Ventures, has revealed the nine textile innovators that will benefit from its 2026 Trailblazer Programme. Recipients of the mentorship will exhibit their smart and/or low impact solutions at the GFA conference in Copenhagen (May 5 to 7, 2026). The finalists will be announced at the event by Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s head of sustainability and institutional affairs who is also head of the Trailblazer jury. 

The mentorship programme focuses on three innovation pillars, with three finalists announced for each category. 

In the ‘working with nature’ category, GFA and PDS see promise in Demeter Bio (UK), which is developing biomass-derived PFAS-free textile finishes; biotech dye maker Tintte, based in the US and South America; and Fibe (UK), which is looking to make textile fibres out of agro-industry waste. 

Start-ups that are investigating smarter ‘closed-loop pathways’ include MIT spin out MacroCycle, for a chemical recycling process for polyester called SolvoGenesis; Fiberly, a biotech company based in France and Argentina, developing a manmade cellulosic fibre notably from textile waste; and Tira Fibers, makers of a bio-elastomer designed to be easy to recycle, based in Canada. 
 
The trailblazer programme also supports tech-oriented solutions, singling out for its 2026 awards an AI-powered sourcing assistance solution developed by Nul (Singapore), digital design platform Synflux (Japan), and digital fabric database and sourcing platform Frontier (Taiwan). 

The organisation advocating for a more sustainable apparel and fashion industry has also announced the launch of a new awards programme with credit card company Visa. Visa Young Creators: Recycle the Runway seeks to promote young designers applying circular economy principles. Fifteen winners will be selected.

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