Syntetica raises €4.2M to close the loop in nylon recycling

Nylon recycling startup Syntetica has raised €4.2 million in Seed funding.

The textile industry is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, accounting for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. The vast majority of nylon ends up in landfills or incineration plants. 

This is because virgin nylon is commonly blended with other fibres, including cotton, elastane, and polyester. This gives it additional qualities for widespread use in activewear, outdoor gear, hosiery, and high-performance/automotive textiles, but it also makes recycling energy — and cost-intensive.

Syntetica's unique depolymerisation technique breaks the chemical bonds binding nylon and other fibres together in blended textiles in a no-pressure, low-temperature chemical process. This process separates the various fibres so they can be rerouted back into clothing manufacturing in a cost-effective, low-carbon feedback loop. 

The feedstock agnostic process uses off-the-shelf chemicals and existing lab infrastructure – making the scaling potential vast.

Etam, France's number one lingerie brand, is currently working with Syntetica to launch a capsule collection using recycled material from Syntetica's process.

Marco Bertone, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Syntetica, commented:

"We founded Syntetica to deliver a practical solution to permanently close the loop in nylon recycling, meaningfully reducing retailers' carbon emissions and preventing millions of tonnes of garments from being consigned to landfill.

To have the backing of EQT Ventures, a leading climate tech investor, and a number of tier-one fashion retailers so early on in our journey is a huge endorsement of our technology. We are excited to build on this momentum, grow the team, and kickstart production."

Laurent Milchior, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Etam Group, commented:

"Decarbonisation and sustainability are at the top of our agenda and in the fashion industry this starts with textile manufacturing.

Etam Group is working hard to reduce its supply chain's environmental impact and to this end, we are delighted to be partnering with Syntetica, whose novel solution to nylon recycling is unique in the market and pioneering the shift towards widespread circularity technology. 

Etam will launch a fully recycled textile prototype with Syntetica in 2025 which will be the basis of a first-of-its-kind capsule collection arriving in 2026.

EQT Ventures led the funding with participation from the family offices of Peugeot and ETAM, Volta Circle (Indorama Ventures' shareholders family office), Better Angle, Pareto Holdings, Athletico Ventures, Bear Flag Capital and high-profile angels 2-time Formula-E champion Jean-Éric Vergne, IDEC Group CEO Patrice Lafargue, and former tennis player Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Thomas Poitrineau, Director at EQT Ventures, added:

"From the early days of our partnership, Marco's and Louis' technical expertise and entrepreneurial flare immediately impressed me.

So too did their ambition to solve one of the most pressing and complex challenges facing clothing retailers today — it was clear we had a similar methodology for approaching climate issues and the founder-investor fit was effortless from day one."

Syntetica will use the fresh capital to add additional technical talent to the team's existing expertise and begin producing the first fully recycled nylon materials for fashion and automotive clients. The aim is to reach a pre-industrial stage by mid-2026.

Lead image: Syntetica. Photo: uncredited.