Lululemon backs Syntetica's $30M Series A for nylon recycling
Original: Lululemon backs nylon-recycling startup Syntetica in $30M Series A
Why This Matters
Fashion industry investment in chemical textile recycling signals growing pressure on nylon supply chains from regulation and price volatility.
French startup Syntetica raised a $30M Series A backed by Lululemon, Victoria's Secret, Etam, and MAS Holdings to scale a chemical recycling process for Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 — two mixed textile waste streams previously difficult to recycle together.
French startup Syntetica has closed a $30 million Series A round led by investors including activewear giant Lululemon, lingerie brands Victoria's Secret and Etam, and large apparel manufacturer MAS Holdings. The Paris-founded company, formed through the Entrepreneurs First accelerator at Station F, has developed a novel chemical process to recycle Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 — two material types commonly mixed in consumer textile waste that cannot easily be sorted. Rather than producing finished textiles, Syntetica outputs pellets that manufacturers like MAS can convert into yarn, keeping it positioned as a B2B supply chain partner. CEO Marco Bertone told TechCrunch that recent oil price volatility has made nylon costs unpredictable, forcing brands into quarterly or even weekly price renegotiations and highlighting dependence on petroleum-sourced synthetics. Prior to the Series A, Syntetica secured a partnership with Michelin's Center for Sustainable Materials to build a commercial demonstration facility in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The company is targeting market entry for a recycling project with its brand partners as early as next year. Bertone co-founded Syntetica with chemistry researcher Louis Monsigny; CTO Ash Ward previously worked at failed battery company Northvolt, whose co-founder Peter Carlsson serves as a Syntetica adviser.