Cambridge, UK-based Alchemie Technology has attracted new financing from At One Ventures and H&M CO:LAB, H&M Group’s investment arm, to accelerate the development of its disruptive digital dyeing, coating and finishing technologies.

Alchemie’s Endeavour smart waterless dyeing technology allows garment manufacturers to eliminate the production of contaminated wastewater and dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of dyeing. Demonstrated to radically reduce lead times and enable lower minimum order sizes, alongside a 50% cost saving compared to traditional technologies, the Endeavour solution has been well received by textile manufacturers and fashion brands worldwide.

The waterless process is said to deliver dyed fabric with high colour consistency and colour fastness and not require post dyeing washing steps. It can deliver any colour shade required and enables on-demand digital colour changeovers in any run length, from a few metres to several kilometres.

The textile manufacturing industry has a significant impact on the environment, and with our Endeavour and Novara technologies, we are disrupting manufacturing processes that are responsible for over 3% of global CO2 emissions and 20% of global water pollution

At its heart is a unique dyeing process that distributes dye molecules deep into the fabric, enabling very high absorption, homogeneous distribution and excellent fixing efficiencies. This is claimed to result in minimal washout, even at very high saturation levels of dye.

Alchemie has also seen a surge in market demand for its Novara precision digital finishing technology. Novara enables functional coatings to be applied with unparalleled precision, all controlled with real-time digital data.

“We are very pleased that At One Ventures and H&M CO:LAB have invested in Alchemie at this pivotal point in the commercial roll-out of our sustainable dyeing and finishing solutions,” said Alchemie managing director Simon Kew. “The textile manufacturing industry has a significant impact on the environment, and with our Endeavour and Novara technologies, we are disrupting manufacturing processes that are responsible for over 3% of global CO2 emissions and 20% of global water pollution. Our solutions both dramatically reduce the environmental impact and cost of dyeing and finishing, which has proven to be a compelling combination. We are building on the momentum we have generated in the market with successful commercial trials of our fabrics and are looking forward to rolling out the first global commercial installations this year.”

www.alchemietechnology.com