The latest funding round was led by Suzano Ventures and included investors such as Plug and Play.
Brazilian wood pulp supplier Suzano is among the investors participating in the $12m series A round for Simplifyber, a US-based materials startup using a 3D-moulding process to reduce the environmental impact of soft goods manufacturing and the use of synthetic fibres.
Founded in 2021, Simplifyber’s technology eliminates production steps that are usually a part of traditional soft goods manufacturing, such as spinning, weaving, cutting and sewing. It has also developed a proprietary natural fibre liquid called Fybron that can be injected into 3D moulds to create various bio-based and biodegradable soft goods.
“At Simplifyber, we believe that the best way to reduce process waste and prevent plastics from ending up in the environment is to begin at the design stage, offering industries an innovative way to use bio-based materials, all while using significantly less energy and producing less waste,” said Maria Intscher-Owrang, CEO and cofounder of Simplifyber, in a press release.
The startup has launched its first product – a shoe-upper made from cellulose-based material – at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024 via a collaboration with Danish fashion band Ganni.
The latest series A round was led by Suzano Ventures. Other investors included VC firms At One Ventures, Techstars and Plug and Play Sustainability Fund, amongst others. This round follows a $4.2m seed round from July 2022.
“Every year we have evaluated hundreds of startups that are pushing forward the frontiers of what is possible with bio-based materials. In this scenario, we believe that Simplifyber is very promising in this ecosystem since its pioneering approach has the potential to disrupt soft goods supply chains in sectors ranging from apparel to automotive,” said Paula Puzzi, corporate venture capital senior manager at Suzano Ventures, in a press release.
Suzano Ventures has a $70m fund to support the development and growth of companies from pre-seed to series A stages. The unit invests in companies operating in climate technology, bio-based products, agroforestry, carbon removal and sustainable packaging sectors in Brazil, Latin America, Israel, Europe, North America and China.
Funding from this round will go towards scaling-up production, team expansion, business development in new regions and sectors, building brand collaborations and working on ways to bring Simplifyber’s business closer to cost parity with traditional textile production.
