Natural Fiber Welding

NFW materials / Source: Natural Fiber Welding

AfricaAsiaClarusCorkEuropeMirumNorth AmericaOceaniaPliantRubberSouth AmericaTextilesTunera

WHAT WE SAY:

The scale and urgency of the plastic crisis and the amount of greenwashing surrounding it, means that when we find the real deal we will not be shy in telling you. And Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) is one of the companies that we are most excited about.

This is not some fanciful future either; it is in production already, scaling up its vision to reinvent the entire global system of materials. NFW's ‘shockingly sustainable’ materials come from nature’s own supply chain, with zero compromise, zero toxins, zero petrochemicals and zero plastics. We are not the only believers either. NFW has now raised over USD 150 million to scale rapidly from companies, such as Ralph Lauren, BMW and Allbirds. The only caveat? The waiting list is long and growing with every successful product launch.

Pliant / Source: Natural Fiber Welding

ABOUT NATURAL FIBER WELDING

NFW was founded in 2015 and is based in Peoria, Illinois. The company uses green chemistry and low-energy, low-impact to produce plant-based materials that can replace plastic-based and other unsustainable ones.
The company states that its mission is to create materials that leverage nature’s abundance and inherent circularity. More plant matter grows in a single day than all synthetics produced by mankind in one year, and its 100% plant-based, organic materials return their nutrients back to nature at the end-of-life without any ill effects.
NFW currently has four material technology platforms: Mirum, a leather-like plant-based material produced for footwear, fashion, automotive and accessories; Clarus, a ‘welding’ technique that lengthens and strengthens natural fibres, such as cotton, to give them synthetic-like performance; Pliant, a truly natural rubber and Tunera, a plastic-free foam for footwear.
Both Clarus and Mirum are currently commercially available – albeit with waiting lists.
The company has released products with a number of leading brands, including Ralph Lauren’s RLX Clarus Polo Shirt, Pangaia’s Mirum wallets, Camper’s Runner K21 Mirum trainers, among others.
The company has raised over USD 150 million – including USD 85 million in April 2022 – from investors including BMW i Ventures, Allbirds, Ralph Lauren; as well as striking partnerships with Patagonia and Richemont.
In 2021, NFW extended its Mirum production space by 110,000 square feet, with the goal of producing tens of millions of square feet of material every year.
NFW was one of five winners of the Conservation X Labs’ Microfibre Innovation Challenge in March 2022, awarded for the ability to reduce or prevent microfibre pollution. It was also named one of the most innovative companies of 2022 by Fast Company.