Spintex develops high-performance, sustainable fabrics that are 1,000 times more efficient than an identical synthetic fibre by replicating how a spider spins silk at ambient temperature.
Spintex is a spin-off firm from the University of Oxford that makes biodegradable textile fibres for use in fashion and high-performance materials. Spintex has been awarded $100,000 for their outstanding work as the recipient of the Ray of Hope Prize in 2021. The award was established in memory of Ray C. Smith, a pioneer in the field of sustainable business. Anderson is given to the world’s best nature-inspired company each year after 10 finalists have completed a 10-week accelerator programme.
Spintex has developed a method for spinning textile fibres from a liquid gel at room temperature, with the only outputs being water and biodegradable textile fibres. The company’s mission is to develop goods that reduce, if not completely eliminate, the need for extractive techniques like mining while also reviving devastated ecosystems. Companies like Spintex are developing new goods and materials by learning from nature.
Spintex is ideally positioned as a platform technology to replace both silk and oil-derived synthetic fibres in the fashion industry. They believe that their technique is 1,000 times more efficient than a synthetic fibre of comparable quality. Aquammodate is a Swedish water filtration firm that was inspired by diatoms and aquaporin proteins. Their technology is both energy-efficient and selective. Desalination at any scale is made possible by their energy-efficient and selective technology, which provides high purity grade water in a single filter pass.
The Biomimicry Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organisation that encourages individuals to seek out nature-inspired solutions for a healthier earth. AskNature.org is a free online tool developed by the Institute that provides natural techniques and examples of how they are applied in design. The Ray of Hope Prize is a game-changing accelerator programme that supports the development of the best nature-based startups.
