#Composites

2025-01-23

JEC Composites Startup Booster 2025: the twenty finalists revealed

In just eight years, JEC Composites Startup Booster has established itself as a global reference for entrepreneurship in the composites industry. Over a hundred entrepreneurs, startups, and university spin-offs submitted their applications, with 20 selected as finalists. From March 4 to 6, these finalists will have the opportunity to present their projects before an expert jury on the JEC World stage.

Innovative composite materials showcased by JEC Startup Booster finalists, demonstrating cutting-edge advancements in textiles and sustainability © 2025 JEC

Initiated in 2017, JEC Composites Startup Booster provides an exceptional networking opportunity, offering increased visibility into the future of the composites industry. Held in three regions (Europe, the United States, and Asia), the competition has already fostered the emergence of over 1,100+ innovative projects from more than 60 countries. It has become an essential springboard for participants seeking international opportunities!

This year, the competition is organized with the sponsorship of Airbus, ProxximaTM (An ExxonMobil Product) and Owens Corning as the main innovation partners, and Mercedes-Benz and Swancor as innovation partners.

Pioneering innovations in composites

The JEC Startup Booster 2025 highlights 20 groundbreaking startups advancing products, materials, and manufacturing processes in the composites industry. These finalists represent a dynamic landscape of sustainable materials, digital manufacturing, and cutting-edge recycling solutions.

Among the most textile-relevant startups:

MCVE Technologie (France) – Innovating smart reinforcing fabrics with embedded electrical circuits for composite materials, enabling functionalities like sensors, heaters, and antennas in glass fiber and bio-based textiles.

Phoenix Carbon (UK) – A leader in sustainable woven carbon fiber, producing high-quality recycled composites at half the cost of virgin material while maintaining full performance, catering to industries like textiles, automotive, and aerospace.

ILSUNG Composites (South Korea) – Developing induction-based recycling for carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP), ensuring high-performance fiber recovery and closed-loop sustainability in composite textiles.

These startups—and many others—are redefining efficiency, recyclability, and sustainability in composites, paving the way for a more innovative and eco-conscious future.

SAVE THE DATE!

Two pitch sessions, each featuring 10 presentations, will take place on the Agora stage (Hall 6):

• Tuesday, March 4 , at 10:00 AM for the Products & Materials category

• Tuesday, March 4, at 4:30 PM for the Processes, Manufacturing, and Equipment category

Three winners will be designated by the jury, along with one winner for the sustainable dimension of the project.

The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, March 5 , at 5:30 PM in Agora 6.

Read more and explore all finalists:

https://www.jeccomposites.com/

JEC World 2026 returns with an unprecedented content program

Recognized worldwide as the leading trade exhibition for composite materials and their applications, JEC World returns on March 10-12, 2026, at Paris Nord Villepinte as the most ambitious edition to date, in line with its motto “Pushing the limits”. As the must-attend event for the composites industry, JEC World will offer an unprecedented program, blending conferences, markets insights, technical sessions, awards, and above all, a unique experience and invaluable connections.

JEC World 2026 reveals the list of finalists for the Innovation Awards

Each year, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards recognize collaborative, innovative, and ambitious projects that illustrate the potential of composite materials. Created in 1998, this benchmark program aims to identify, promote, and reward the most innovative composite solutions worldwide. In 28 years, the JEC Composites Innovation Awards have attracted more than 2,200 participating companies from around the world. A total of 269 companies and 811 associated partners have been recognized for the excellence of their innovations.

Launch of the first JEC Forum Middle East

JEC is proud to announce the signature of a strategic collaboration agreement with the OSP and IFC Promosalons, the representative of JEC in the region. The major agreement aims to organize a series of events dedicated to Composite Materials held in Saudi Arabia for the first time in the Middle East starting in June 2025. The events will facilitate the creation of opportunities for local and international companies and accelerate the adoption of sustainable materials across multiple industries in the region.

Teijin Carbon advances sustainability leadership with EcoVadis, CDP reporting and expanding Tenax Next™ sustainable carbon fiber portfolio

As the composites industry intensifies its focus on measurable environmental, social and governance (ESG) progress, Teijin Carbon announces significant milestones that advance its position among the sector’s most sustainability-driven material suppliers. Teijin Carbon Europe achieved an EcoVadis score of 72/100 in the 2025 assessment, ranking among the top 15% of evaluated companies in its industry.

KARL MAYER at JEC: Multiaxial reinforced CFRP pultrusion profiles are picking up speed in the mobility sector

KARL MAYER Technical Textiles will be showcasing exciting new application potentials for multiaxial non-crimp fabrics in combination with the pultrusion process at the upcoming JEC in Hall 5, Booth C 46. The advancement of the tried-and-tested pultrusion process enables the cost-efficient production of complex CFRP multi-chamber profiles, which are used in the CETROVO high-speed metro. The world's first carbon-intensive lightweight rail vehicle of this type is designed for speeds of up to 140 km/h.

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem to accelerate technology scale‑up

Textile‑to‑textile recycling leader Circulose joins Spinnova’s ecosystem (consortium) to help advance the scale‑up of Spinnova’s technology. Spinnova has actively sought partners to accelerate commercial scale‑up, and Circulose, as a key player in textile recycling, strengthens the ecosystem by providing a raw material that is in high demand across the industry.

UNIFI® introduces Luxel™: A Linen-inspired, easy-care performance yarn

Unifi, Inc. (NYSE: UFI), the makers of REPREVE® and one of the world’s leading innovators in recycled and synthetic yarns, today announced the launch of Luxel™, a groundbreaking yarn technology that combines the luxurious look and feel of linen with high-performance, easy-care, and textile-to-textile recycled materials.

Pioneer of the first hour: Michael Carus steps down after more than 30 years from nova-Institute’s Management

After more than three decades at the helm, founder and CEO Michael Carus is set to step down as head of the Renewable Carbon division on 1 March 2026. Lars Börger as the new CEO, will take over this key position of the nova-Institute together with COO Linda Engel, while Carus will remain with the research and consulting company as a senior advisor and shareholder. This change takes place after a one-year transition phase, as planned.