#Yarn & Fiber

2021-09-23

3D BioFibR Inc. raises new capital to scale up manufacturing in an oversubscribed round

3D BioFibR Inc., a biofibre manufacturing company, announced today it has raised over $700,000 in an oversubscribed follow-on round. Proceeds from the financing will be used to continue to scale-up manufacturing capabilities of their collagen and spider silk fibres with an eye towards securing commercial partnerships.

Participants in this capital raise included further investments from current investors, including Concrete Ventures, as well as new investors, including Globalive Capital.

“We appreciate the continued confidence our investors have in the Company’s ability to advance our proprietary biofibre manufacturing process,” said Kevin Sullivan, CEO of 3D BioFibR. “As we continue to de-risk our manufacturing platform, our focus is now shifting to a higher level of engagement with industry to secure commercial partnerships, with our first focus on the tissue culture and tissue engineering applications.”

3D BioFibR Inc. was incorporated in July of 2020. The Company closed its first round of financing on October 19, 2020, raising $550,000. These funds were used to successfully demonstrate that their proprietary biofiber manufacturing process works well for diverse sets of cell types used in a range of biocomposite applications. Funds from this current round of financing will allow the Company to focus on optimizing the automation of its manufacturing process to be ready for first market sales in the second half of 2022.

“Our unique dry spinning manufacturing process can generate high quality collagen scaffolds that are ideal for 3D cell culture and tissue-engineering applications,” said Dr. John Frampton, Chief Scientific Officer at 3D BioFibR. “It is exciting to see the transition from a lab based process to an automated system of production. These advancements will enable us to meet the market need for consistent, high quality products at commercial scale production levels.”

“We are excited to see 3D BioFibR producing collagen and spider silk fibres at a scale and quantity that no other commercial process can match,” said Patrick Hankinson, Partner at Concrete Ventures. “The team at 3D BioFibR has real potential to become a best-in-class biofibre manufacturer of premium products for use in tissue culture and medical applications, as well as in the performance textile industry.”

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Lenzing and Kaihara to debut REMOD denim collection at Kingpins Amsterdam

The Lenzing Group, a global producer of wood-based fibers for the textile and nonwovens industries, has partnered with Japanese denim manufacturer Kaihara Corporation to launch the “REMOD Collection”. The collection combines three of Lenzing's fiber offerings for denim applications: TENCEL™ Lyocell Standard, TENCEL™ Lyocell – HV100 and TENCEL™ Lyocell dtex 2.2.

Circ and Huafon partner to scale textile-to-textile recycling in China

Circ® and Huafon, a leading spandex producer in China, are partnering to build and scale a new multi-phase textile-to-textile recycling site in China, expanding Circ's global pathway to industrial scale. The project will be located within Huafon's industrial footprint and will use Circ's technology to process polycotton textile waste and recycle both inputs, recovering recycled PTA, recycled MEG and recycled cellulosic pulp for use in new textiles. The site will be developed in phases, with Phase 1 designed for approximately 200 metric tons of textile waste per day and additional capacity planned.

Aachen Summer School: Textiles become smart through 3D printing and origami

From 21 to 29 September 2026, the Aachen Summer School will transform Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University into a laboratory of the future: over the course of a week, students will use origami folding techniques and 3D printing to develop active textile structures capable of performing programmable movements. This interdisciplinary event combines theoretical foundations with practical prototyping – from digital modelling right through to functional textile prototypes.

Trützschler to showcase innovations in spinning preparation and nonwovens at ITMA Asia 2026

From November 20 to 24, 2026, the Trützschler Group will present its latest fiber processing technologies at ITMA Asia in Shanghai, China. At Hall 5.1, Booth D20, the company will showcase solutions designed to increase productivity, simplify operations and improve efficiency across spinning preparation and nonwoven production. Key highlights include the automated can transport system T-CAN, the next-generation card TC 30, innovative card clothing solutions such as STEELTOP and SUPERFLOW, as well as advanced nonwoven technologies for hygiene, wipes and filtration applications.

ROICA™ brings global textile innovation to Functional Fabric Fair Portland

ROICA™, the premium stretch fiber by Asahi Kasei, will make its debut appearance at Functional Fabric Fair Portland on October 27-28, 2026, at the Oregon Convention Center (Stand 256). Bringing together textile developments from partner companies across Europe and Asia, the ROICA™ booth will present a diverse collection of fabric solutions for performance, outdoor, mobility, swimwear, cy-cling, and lifestyle applications.