Cleantech startup Renasens announced today that it has raised €10 million (USD$11.5 million) in a seed funding round, with proceeds aimed at scaling its waterless, chemical-free textile recycling platform in Europe.
Founded in 2022 by Dr. Jade Bouledjouidja, Sweden-based Renasens has developed a waterless textile recycling solution designed to convert mixed textile waste into high-quality fibers, supporting circular material use in the fashion industry.
The company said the new capital will be used to establish a pilot plant in Borås, Sweden, and begin feeding recovered fibers directly back into European manufacturing.
Renasens’ platform uses modified supercritical CO₂, a state in which carbon dioxide exhibits properties of both a liquid and a gas, to decolor and separate blended textiles. The process enables the recovery of intact fibers without depolymerization, toxic chemicals, or water use. According to the company, the recovered fibers can be directly reintroduced into existing spinning and manufacturing infrastructure without requiring reformulation or new equipment. The system is modular and designed for deployment within existing facilities, rather than relying on large centralized plants.
The company stated that its solution addresses a growing gap between tightening European Union regulations and the limited availability of scalable textile recycling infrastructure. As of January 2025, EU member states must offer separate textile collection systems, with Extended Producer Responsibility schemes set to be introduced by June 2027, requiring brands to pay fees linked to the recyclability of their products.
Dr. Jade Bouledjouidja, Founder and CEO of Renasens, said:
“Post-consumer textile waste has been written off as unsolvable for many years, not just technically, but structurally. We have cracked the material science behind this, our pilot plant is now scaling, and we are building the infrastructure and partnerships to make recycled fiber economically viable at industrial scale in Europe for the first time.”
The seed funding round was led by Extantia and included participation from new investor Course Corrected VC, alongside existing investor Norrsken Launcher.
Carlota Ochoa Neven Du Mont, Principal at Extantia, said:
“Renasens is a piece of strategic European infrastructure. As the EU tightens its grip on textile waste regulation, the brands and manufacturers that need compliant, high-quality, and locally sourced fiber have no viable options. Renasens changes that, and what’s more, they do this at a green discount.”
