BioFashionTech awarded at StartCup Lombardia 2024

BioFashionTech is a biotechnology startup that stood out as one of the winners of the StartCup Lombardia 2024, thanks to its revolutionary project in the textile sector and its vision of a circular bioeconomy. Founded to offer a close-loop solution for the fashion industry, BioFashionTech aims to make textile recycling not only sustainable but also economically and environmentally efficient. The project, incubated by PoliHub – Innovation District Startup Accelerator, focuses on transforming textile waste into biobased materials through a patented enzymatic process.

The key innovation of BioFashionTech lies in its advanced enzymatic process, which enables the recycling of mixed textile waste, including colored and contaminated materials, without the use of harsh chemicals. Unlike traditional recycling methods, which often require the separation of fibers, BioFashionTech’s technology directly processes mixed-fiber fabrics. This significantly reduces the complexity and environmental impact of the process, cutting CO₂ emissions and water consumption in line with the European Green Deal objectives.

“We have succeeded in creating an enzymatic solution capable of repurposing complex textile waste into secondary raw materials, ready to enter various value chains,” says Fabiola Polli, CEO of BioFashionTech. “With our approach, we aim to meet the European industry’s need to manage waste sustainably by 2025.”

BioFashionTech not only recycles textile waste but also transforms it into valuable resources such as fermentable sugars and biobased plastics. Validated through a pilot project with the City of Rotterdam, the Circle Economy Foundation, and other international entities, the technology has proven its applicability in real-world contexts, such as the production of bioplastics and syngas.

Through academic partnerships with renowned institutions, including TU Delft, the University of Groningen, and the Politecnico di Milano, BioFashionTech has accelerated the innovation of its process. Additionally, BioFashionTech has already garnered support from potential customers through ten Letters of Intent (LOI), highlighting a growing demand for its solution. The next step for the startup is to find industrial partners and investors to further expand its capabilities and develop a larger-scale prototype. “Our goal is to collaborate with entities that share our vision and want to contribute to building a large-scale circular economy,” Polli states.

With the StartCup Lombardia 2024 award, BioFashionTech positions itself as one of the emerging leaders in textile sustainability. The startup aims to play a crucial role in the European transition toward a bioeconomy, offering a scalable and concrete solution for textile waste management and achieving the sector’s sustainability goals.