Here are the Top 20 finalists for the Global Change Award 2026

The Global Change Award backs bold early-stage ideas, championing changemakers who question existing models and develop solutions that benefit both people and the planet.

This year’s finalists take on some of the textile industry’s most complex challenges. Some are cutting reliance on fossil-based inputs and rethinking production efficiency. Others are unlocking scalable recycling pathways or embedding digital intelligence into factories to reduce waste and energy use.

The 20 finalists span four areas of transformation: Sustainable Materials and Processes, Responsible Production, Mindful Consumption and Wildcards – each addressing structural pressure points across the textile industry.

The finalists are now under review by our Expert Panel as we enter the final stage of selection. The 10 winners of the Global Change Award 2026 will be announced in June.

But now, meet the top 20 finalists shaping the future of fashion!

Responsible Production

Joe Wahba & Alan Zhang, US

Curbon is building an AI-powered decision tool that integrates environmental impact assessment directly into the product design phase. Using real bills of materials and supply-chain data, it models carbon, water and cost trade-offs before production begins.

https://www.curbon.ai

https://www.linkedin.com/company/curbon/

Mohammed Ali, Lusiph Eiubovi, Steve Evans, UK

EntroMetrix is developing an AI-enabled optimisation platform that helps manufacturers reduce energy and resource inefficiencies. Combining digital twins with physics-based AI, it analyses operational data to identify bottlenecks, predict failures and recommend actionable improvements within existing factory workflows.

EntroMetrix – AI-Powered Industrial Intelligence & Metrics

https://www.linkedin.com/company/entrometrix/

Md Ridwan Hossain, Bangladesh

ThreadBridge is developing an AI-assisted quality control system that detects fabric defects before cutting to reduce pre-consumer textile waste. Using wearable smart glasses and machine learning, it integrates into existing factories without replacing workers.

https://threadbridge.tech/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/threadbridge/about/

Donatela Bellone, US

ALU is a consumer-facing platform built on Digital Product Passports to support repair, resale and long-term garment use. By combining AI guidance, storytelling and gamification, it strengthens consumer engagement and extends product lifespans.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/donatela-bellone/

Bhaavya Goenka, Filippo Ricci, Orsola De Castro, India

Menders Without Borders is building a distributed network that connects skilled repair artisans with brands and consumers. By formalising garment mending as a professional service, it supports income generation and more durable consumption patterns.

Ailton Pereira, Brazil

AIPER develops biopigments through microbial fermentation using non-GMO microorganisms fed with agro-industrial waste. The process reduces water and chemical inputs while achieving high dye fixation rates within a circular bioeconomy model.

https://aiper.com.br/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/aiper-co/

Shreyans Kokra & Dhruv Gupta, India

AgroLyocell converts agricultural waste into regenerated cellulose fibre as an alternative to wood-based viscose and lyocell. By fully utilising crop residues, it reduces reliance on virgin wood feedstocks.

www.linkedin.com/company/canvaloop/

Anna Rising & Benjamin Schmuck, Sweden

ArtSilk produces artificial spider silk fibres using engineered proteins and a water-based spinning process. The resulting fibres match the toughness of natural spider silk and can be functionalised at the DNA level without additional chemical treatments.

www.linkedin.com/company/artsilk/

Peter Mangnus, Netherlands

Dawn Technologies separates cotton–polyester textile waste by removing cellulosic fibres and recovering clean polyester for chemical recycling. The cotton fraction is converted into higher-value bio-based chemical building blocks, improving the economics of blended textile recycling.

www.linkedin.com/company/avantium/

Shadi Houshyar, Australia

DiamondCool is developing a nanodiamond-enhanced textile that passively dissipates body heat without requiring energy input or chemical coatings. By embedding carbon-based nanodiamonds into fabrics, it lowers perceived skin temperature while maintaining softness and durability.

Alfonso Gautieri & Emilio Parisini, Italy

EnzymeThreads engineers high-performance enzymes for PET depolymerisation. Its C09 enzyme variant demonstrates strong thermal stability and activity, breaking PET into its original monomers, a technology that could contribute to higher-quality polyester recycling.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfonsogautieri/

Bénédicte Quinta, France

Fiberly is developing a regenerated cellulose fibre engineered to replicate cotton’s structure and performance. Building on the lyocell process, it introduces fibre shaping and surface texturing to address climate and supply risks linked to cotton production.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedictequinta/

Laetus Baberwa & Emeliana Said, Tanzania

KelTex is developing biodegradable bio-leather made from seaweed cultivated in coastal Tanzania. Marine biopolymers are processed into flexible sheet materials without land use, freshwater or fossil feedstocks, while AI-enabled sensor systems optimise seaweed farming conditions to support yield and local livelihoods.

Henry Kavuma, Uganda

Living Carbon Capture Dye Systems is developing a biologically engineered dyeing process that uses cyanobacteria to capture atmospheric CO₂ and convert it into textile dyes, positioning dye production as a carbon-negative process rather than a source of emissions.

Suchitha Raghunathan & Anjana Badrinarayanan, India

MicroHues produces microbial dyes through fermentation as an alternative to petrochemical and plant-based dyes. Its biodegradable dyes function as drop-in replacements in existing dyeing systems, reducing water use and wastewater toxicity.

www.linkedin.com/company/microbeworks-scientific/

Aurelie Fontan, Meredith Wood, Christopher Ferguson, UK

Colour Earth is developing a regenerative natural dye system that combines soil remediation with pigment production on polluted or post-mining land. Extracted using water-based or CO₂ processes, the pigments are formulated into inks that improve colour fastness and reduce reliance on synthetic dyes.

https://www.colourearth.co.uk

Arzu Sandicki & Mert Topcu, US

RheaCycle™ is developing an AI-designed enzymatic recycling platform for textile-to-textile circularity. Using engineered enzymes, the system breaks down polyester and blended textile waste under mild conditions into high-purity monomers that can be reintroduced into manufacturing, including from dyed and blended garments.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/rheasfactory/

Jeanne Begon-Lours & Lucy Dain-Williams, UK

Tera Mira is developing a seaweed-derived alternative to elastane using a solvent-free wet-spinning process. By creating stretch fibres from marine biopolymers, Tera Mira aims to match elastane’s performance while enabling improved end-of-life pathways.

www.linkedin.com/company/tera-mira/

Meng Ji, Luxembourg

Arxy is building a digital go-to-market operating system that enables brands to present and sell collections through immersive virtual showrooms. By integrating transactional tools and AI-enabled brand–retailer matching, it reduces travel, sampling and showroom costs.

https://arxy.com

https://www.linkedin.com/company/arxy

Tomasz Mierzwa & Katarzyna Turnau, Poland

MycoRenew is developing a fungi-based bioremediation system for mixed and contaminated textile waste. Instead of recycling fibres back into textiles, it converts treated waste into construction materials such as eco-bricks, addressing streams difficult to process conventionally.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/mycorenew/