Solena Materials, a London-based biotech startup, has raised €1.4 million in new funding to accelerate production of its protein-based fibres designed for textile applications.
The funding will support the “Exprest” project, a joint initiative with The Protein Express, a Netherlands-based company specialising in fermentation technology. The collaboration is focused on the development and industrial scale-up of fermented protein fibre manufacturing.
The project comes as the fashion and textile industry continues to explore alternatives to petroleum-based synthetic fibres. Fermentation-derived protein fibres are emerging as one of the areas being evaluated for more sustainable textile production.
Solena Materials, classified by Dealroom as an “early growth” stage company, develops AI-designed biodegradable protein fibres intended for performance textile applications.
The companies are aiming to address scale-up challenges associated with biotech-based textile materials, a segment that has faced manufacturing and cost-related barriers in moving from laboratory development to industrial production.
The €1.4 million investment will support activities related to scaling production processes through the partnership with The Protein Express.
The collaboration reflects a project-focused approach to advancing protein-based fibre technology within the textile materials sector.