ZymoChem secures funding for eco-friendly textile innovation

ZymoChem, an American biomanufacturer, has successfully raised $21 million in a Series A funding round, led by Breakout Ventures, with participation from Lululemon Athletica Inc., Toyota Ventures and other popular investors. With this funding, combined with partnership and support from the US Department of Energy, ZymoChem aims to launch its first eco-friendly material and scale up its initial collaborative product for commercial viability. The primary goal is to address the climate crisis by introducing bio-based textiles and hygiene products.

ZymoChem is making strides in the textile industry, moving away from traditional polyesters to bio-based materials for performance apparel. The platform uses renewable feedstocks and a proprietary fermentation process to convert them into high-performance, bio-based, and biodegradable polymers with nearly zero CO2 emissions, following a carbon-efficient approach.

Lindy Fishburne, Managing Partner at Breakout Ventures, highlighted their investment in ZymoChem, praising the company’s technology for scaling bio-based chemicals and materials while remaining cost-competitive with petroleum-derived alternatives.

ZymoChem’s co-founder and CEO, Harshal Chokhawala, emphasized that their technology achieves sustainability without compromising performance, scalability, and economics. He added, “This has fostered numerous partnerships with global industry leaders, and we are excited to broaden our impact with key stakeholders.”