The start-up helps fashion brands and textile mills use new types of materials, methods, and concepts in the textile business. The environmentally friendly dyes prove to be an alternative, greener substitute for conventional synthetic dyes. For these reasons, Vienna Textile Lab has been chosen as the ISC3 Start-up of the Month for June 2024.

Vienna Textile Lab develops and manufactures dyes and pigments by utilizing microorganisms. The start-up focuses on bacteria and fungi derived from the soil or of marine origin. Dyes and pigments fall under the category of fine chemicals and are at the end of a chemical supply chain. In the oil industry, the process starts with crude oil, which needs to be processed to bulk chemicals and many steps later the fine chemicals are obtained. High emission and a heavy carbon footprint are a negative side effect.

With their biotechnological approach, VTL´s pigments are produced in a cell, therefore eliminating many single complex steps of the manufacturing process. Not only does this reduce the carbon footprint of the process significantly, but the used renewable feedstock contributes to a circular -economy. It´s a “one-pot reaction”, which is followed up by purification steps.

Start-up of the Month in June 2024 is currently told by the ISC3 on its website at Start-up Vienna Textile Lab (isc3.org). 

Three questions for Karin Fleck (CEO & Founder of Vienna Textile Lab):

What led to your solution in Sustainable Chemistry?

Karin Fleck: The reason why I started chemistry was to gain a great understanding of what materials in the world around us are made of. Later I worked in the oil and energy business and you really get the idea where our resources are coming from. And the older I got, the more important it became to ask the question “what should materials be made of?”. The way big corporate companies work is about maximising their profit, but once they have a running product, there is little thinking about changing the product totally or replacing it by something else. And I think it is important to show alternatives and to make companies and consumers think differently about what they're doing. Someone needs to be visionary about this. 

What does being chosen as ISC3 Start-up of the Month mean to you?

K. Fleck: I'm very glad that we are gaining visibility. We've pursued awards and recognition, and being acknowledged as part of the ISC3 community and family means a lot to us. Your continuous invitations and features are incredibly valuable. As our company matures, I’ve become more selective about where we should be featured. Being part of the right “tribe” is crucial, and this recognition gives us a significant boost within the community. We see this reflected on our social media channels, where more clients and partners are recognizing and approaching us.

What’s next up at Vienna Textile Lab?

K. Fleck: With two patents pending and ongoing innovation, we are focused on producing an expanding range of new colours. We are also scaling up our production, having completed an initial scaling run that provides us with high-quality pigments. Our near-term goal is to secure investment to further accelerate our growth. Long-term, we aim to serve the textile industry with a comprehensive range of dyes and pigments. Since our inception, we have generated revenue and collaborated with prominent clients in the field. We are poised for significant growth and seek investment to scale our operations and meet increasing demand.