The European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) has announced the 20 start-ups selected for the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant, hailing from nine countries, which will present their innovations in the Start-Up Valley at ITMA 2027 in Hanover.

CEMATEX will fully fund these early-stage companies' participation costs, including dedicated booths and related support services, and promote them through ITMA's global marketing and PR channels. Selected companies will also have the opportunity to speak or be featured in the Innovator Xchange sessions.

The 20 companies span six product areas: dyes and chemicals, fibers yarns and fabrics, garment manufacturing, recycling, software and automation, and testing. They address challenges at different points of the value chain, but share a common focus on sustainability and circularity. Sustainability is increasingly embedded in how new materials, processes and production systems are developed, rather than treated as a standalone consideration.

In terms of specific innovations, Amphico has developed PFAS-free membranes that give functional fabrics both waterproof and breathable performance, while its color platform introduces color through weaving rather than dyeing. Notably, EU restrictions on a class of PFAS widely used in apparel will take effect in October 2026.

Textile production accounts for roughly 20% of global clean water pollution, mainly from dyeing, and conventional dye baths rely heavily on processing chemicals. SwitchDye's CO₂-switchable dyes can be used on existing dyeing equipment while reducing chemical, water and energy consumption.

Textile-to-textile recycling is another innovation hotspot. Recyc’Elit is tackling the challenge of separating blended fabrics, reducing them to pure monomers to produce new recycled polyester while recovering companion materials such as elastane and cotton. Refiberd combines software with hyperspectral imaging to identify fabric composition, helping recyclers accurately determine the materials they handle.

The full list of selected companies is: Amphico, BioFluff, Eeden, EverDye, Fibarcode, Gemell Technology, Innovo Fiber, NunoX, Re.Solution, Recyc’Elit, Refiberd, ReSpin, Revoltech, RubyLab, Sages, Silana, Solena Materials, Sparxell, SwitchDye and Tintte.

CEMATEX President Alex Zucchi said: "What impressed me was not only the sustainable work these companies are doing, but that many of them simply cannot imagine innovating any other way. That tells us where the industry is heading. Through the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant, we give these companies direct access to manufacturers, brands and investors, helping promising ideas move toward industrial application and scale."

As a member of the Start-Up Valley judging panel, Dr. Christian P. Schindler, Director General of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), said: "The quality of the entries reflects the speed and breadth of innovation across the industry. We saw solutions with strong potential for industrial application, scalability and quantifiable impact. Selecting only 20 companies from such a diverse pool made for extremely fierce competition."

It is worth noting that several selected companies' innovation directions overlap with other key focus areas of ITMA 2027, including advanced materials, automation and the digital future, and people-centric manufacturing. At ITMA 2027, these 20 start-ups will exhibit alongside established technology manufacturers across the textile and apparel value chain, connecting directly with manufacturers, brands, investors, research institutions and technology partners to drive technologies into commercial application.

For the second-hand clothing trade and textile recycling industry, the maturation of upstream technologies such as blend separation, composition identification and waterless dyeing will directly affect the supply quality and cost structure of recycled fibers; direct connections between start-ups and recyclers are also expected to accelerate the industrialization of a closed loop for textile waste.

Source: 20 Start-Ups Selected For CEMATEX Start-Up Grant At ITMA 2027 · Originally published 2026-09-25