Having just secured $18 million in new funding led by Inter IKEA and with further backing from H&M Group, Colorifix recently received a visit from Prince William and actress Cate Blanchett at its Norwich, UK headquarters.

The company was a finalist in the 2023 Earthshot Prize, narrowly missing out in claiming a £1 million award for its development of a unique fabric-dyeing process.

Prince William is the founder and Blanchett is on the leadership team of the Earthshot Prize – a ten-year initiative aiming to find solutions to some of the planet’s environmental problems.

During the pair’s visit on June 19th, Colorifix demonstrated how its process exploits the DNA codes of colours found in nature and teaches microbes to recreate them as natural dyes. The process is initiated by identifying a colour created naturally by an animal, plant or microbe and then using DNA sequencing to identify where the colour is coded in the genetics of the organism.

The DNA code is then translated into engineered microorganisms, enabling Colorifix to produce the pigment – just as it is made in nature – and transfer it to fabrics.

Colorifix natural dyes cut chemical pollution by 80%, and when applied to fabrics require far fewer rinses than synthetic dyes, ultimately saving vast quantities of water.

“I think it’s imperative that we reimagine fashion, not only how it’s made, but how we value and consume it,” Blanchett told Vogue magazine. “I think creativity can flourish within sustainable limits.”

Milestone

Since its last funding round in 2022, Colorifix has made significant progress in deploying its sustainable dyeing technology across the globe. The company now operates in Europe and Latin America, with licenses also granted for customer onboarding in India and Sri Lanka, underlining a transition from small-scale industrial deployments to large-volume commercial capacity. The main customer focus continues to be the fashion industry, with additional agreements in place for partnerships in the cosmetics and homewares segments.

“This latest funding marks a critical milestone as we shift from proving our technology to delivering it at industrial scale,” said Orr Yarkoni, CEO of Colorifix. “With Inter IKEA joining as lead investor and continued backing from H&M, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate adoption of our biology-based dyeing across global supply chains – eliminating the need for petrochemicals in dye production and drastically reducing water and electricity usage in the dyeing process itself.”

The new funding will support expansion of production capacity across Europe and Asia, deepening commercial engagements with textile manufacturers and brands, as well the further development of colours with proprietary microorganisms and bio-processes.

www.colorifix.com