Germany’s textile recycling startup eeden closes €18M Series A round led by this Dutch VC firm

Münster-based eeden, a German tech startup, has completed its €18M Series A funding round. The company has developed a textile recycling technology aimed at transforming old clothing into new materials.

The funding round was led by Dutch VC firm Forbion through its BioEconomy Fund. New investors include Henkel Ventures, the investment arm of Henkel, and NRW.Venture, the venture fund of NRW.BANK.

Existing investors such as TechVision Fund (TVF), High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), and D11Z. Ventures, the early-stage investment arm of the family office of Dieter Schwarz, also participated.

Enabling circular textiles

The textile industry faces challenges such as cost increases, limited resources, material fluctuations, and regulatory changes. In response, brands and manufacturers are seeking textile materials that offer performance, scalability, and circular use at competitive prices. This is where eeden looks to make a difference.

Founded by Steffen Gerlach and Dr. Tobias Börnhorst, eeden has developed a chemical recycling technology that separates pure cellulose and PET monomers from cotton-polyester blends. These can be used to produce lyocell, viscose, and polyester fibres, providing an alternative to conventional materials and supporting circular production systems.

Steffen Gerlach, CEO and co-founder of eeden, says, “Over the past few years, we have developed a proven solution that has the potential to meet the industry’s long-term need for cost-efficient and high-performing circular materials.”

“We are proud that our new and existing investors believe in our approach and share our vision. With their support, we are ready to scale our technology and turn textile waste into materials the industry truly needs.”

From January 2025, EU member states must implement separate collection systems for used textiles in response to rising textile waste and new regulations. eeden’s technology offers a solution that can process blended textile materials, aligning with these upcoming requirements.

Capital utilisation

eeden will build a demonstration facility in Münster, Germany, following the validation of its pilot plant with industry partners. The funding will also support the company in improving large-scale processing and launching commercial projects with textile industry partners.

Alex Hoffmann, General Partner at Forbion, says, “eeden has developed a pioneering solution that can make large-scale textile recycling not only technologically feasible, but also commercially viable in the near future.”

“We see tremendous potential in their approach and are excited to support the team as they bring this breakthrough technology to industrial scale.”