#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.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Grasim Industries announces fresh investment of ₹3094 Crore to expand Lyocell capacity

Grasim Industries Limited, the flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group and a global leader in cellulosic fibres, today announced an investment of ₹3,094 crore, for Phase II Lyocell capacity of 110K TPA at Harihar, Karnataka. This expansion will consist of 2 lines of 55K TPA (150 Tons per day) each. The first line is expected to be commissioned by 2028, and the second line is expected to be commissioned by 2030.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.