What Simplifyber does

Simplifyber is a materials technology company that produces fully-molded garments and shoe uppers directly from a proprietary cellulose-based liquid called Fybron™, eliminating the spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing steps of conventional textile manufacturing. The company was founded in 2021 by Maria Intscher-Owrang (formerly VP of Design at Vera Wang) and Philip Cohen, and is incorporated in Raleigh, North Carolina with distributed operations across New York, Nashville, and remote teams in Canada. Its single-step additive manufacturing process injects the bio-based, biodegradable, and paper-recyclable liquid into molds, which the company claims reduces manufacturing steps by 60% and CO2 emissions by 33x for shoe uppers versus traditional production.

The technology is positioned as a new material category distinct from leather or conventional textiles, targeting sustainable footwear uppers, biodegradable clothing, and — more recently — automotive interior components. Named enterprise engagements include a shoe upper collaboration with Danish fashion label Ganni showcased at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024, and a 2025 collaboration with Kia Corporation (alongside Bcomp and Biomyc) to develop bio-based interior components for the Kia Concept EV2 electric SUV.

Simplifyber's business model is dual-track B2B enterprise: it monetizes through licensing and co-development of the Fybron™ material technology with major fashion, automotive, and consumer goods brands, while building pilot-scale manufacturing capacity intended to sell bio-based components at cost parity with conventional textiles. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales led by a VP of Business Development, supplemented by high-visibility showcases at fashion industry events. The company has raised approximately $15.5M in total disclosed funding, most recently a $12M Series A in April 2025 led by Suzano Ventures (the corporate VC arm of global wood pulp producer Suzano), with participation from At One Ventures, Techstars, and Plug and Play Sustainability Fund.

Name

Simplifyber

Legal name

Simplifyber, Inc.

Website

https://simplifyber.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simplifyber is a materials technology company that produces bio-based, biodegradable garments and shoe uppers through a proprietary cellulose liquid (Fybron™) molded in a single step, serving enterprise customers in fashion and automotive seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional textiles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Bio-based Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Textile Product Mills (314), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Textile Products (2390), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bio-based Packaging Materials (molded fiber, bio-barrier coatings, compostables) (IMAMALAI), Fiber-Based Sustainable Packaging (Recycled Paper, Molded Fiber, Bagasse) (IMALAMAA), Molded Fiber & Pulp Packaging (Trays, Clamshells, Cups) (IMAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Bio-based materials
• Liquid fiber molding
• Additive manufacturing
• Sustainable textiles
• Cellulose-based manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bio-based Materials Licensing / Co-development: Simplifyber generates revenue by developing and licensing its proprietary Fybron™ material technology and manufacturing process to major fashion, automotive, and consumer goods brands. Revenue is derived from technology licensing, co-development agreements, and production partnerships with enterprise customers seeking sustainable material solutions.
2. Pilot-Scale Production Services: The company is scaling production capabilities to provide cost-competitive bio-based materials manufacturing, with the stated goal of achieving cost competitiveness with conventional textile manufacturing. Revenue will come from selling manufactured bio-based materials and components to enterprise customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Simplifyber develops and manufactures bio-based soft goods using its proprietary Fybron™ cellulose-based liquid fiber and single-step additive molding process. The technology is supplied to enterprise customers in fashion (e.g., Ganni shoe upper), automotive (Kia EV2 interiors), and consumer goods as licensed material, co-developed components, and pilot-scale production runs, eliminating 60% of traditional textile manufacturing steps and producing fully molded, biodegradable garments and shoe uppers.

Product overview

Simplifyber offers a bio-based materials manufacturing platform centered on its proprietary Fybron™ natural fiber liquid technology. The platform uses liquid fiber molding to create soft goods directly from cellulose-based materials like wood pulp and recycled fibers, eliminating traditional manufacturing steps including spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing. The company produces finished products such as the Moon Shoe, which demonstrates 33x lower CO2 emissions than traditional shoe uppers. The technology reduces manufacturing steps by 60% compared to conventional methods and produces biodegradable, recyclable materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moon Shoe (Ganni Collaboration) A fully molded, collectible sneaker upper produced using Simplifyber's bio-based Fybron™ material and single-step liquid fiber molding process; available in multiple colorways (Crystals, Kilties). Demonstrates the company's manufacturing technology for enterprise fashion and footwear partners.
• Fybron™ Bio-based Liquid Fiber Material Simplifyber's proprietary natural fiber liquid, predominantly bio-based and biodegradable, derived from cellulose sources such as wood pulp and recycled fibers. Used as the core input material for single-step liquid fiber molding manufacturing that eliminates spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing. Licensed and supplied to enterprise customers in fashion, automotive, and consumer goods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33X lower CO₂ emissions for shoe uppers compared to traditional manufacturing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and flagship.

• Fashionology SummitsupportingOthers · 17 June 2026Simplifyber participated in the Fashionology Summit in NYC, where co-founder Maria Intscher-Owrang moderated a panel on manufacturing and design featuring representatives from unspun, TômTex Inc., Kornit Digital, and CLO Virtual Fashion. This participation positions Simplifyber within the sustainable fashion innovation ecosystem.
• Kia CorporationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Kia Corporation announced a collaboration with Simplifyber (alongside Bcomp and Biomyc) to develop innovative, sustainable interior components for the Kia Concept EV2 B-segment electric SUV unveiled at Kia's EV Day in Barcelona. Simplifyber's contribution involves integrating cellulose-based formulations as alternatives to conventional plastics in vehicle interiors, marking Simplifyber's first application in automotive design.
• BcompsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Bcomp collaborated with Kia Corporation alongside Simplifyber and Biomyc on the development of innovative, sustainable interior components for the Kia Concept EV2. Bcomp contributes flax-based composites to the collaboration.
• BiomycsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Biomyc collaborated with Kia Corporation alongside Simplifyber and Bcomp on the development of innovative, sustainable interior components for the Kia Concept EV2. Biomyc contributes mushroom-based materials to the collaboration.
• GanniflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Simplifyber collaborated with fashion label Ganni to develop and showcase a shoe upper made with Fybron™ bio-based material at Paris Fashion Week in September 2024. This high-visibility collaboration demonstrated Simplifyber's technology to the global fashion industry and marked one of the company's first product showcases with a major fashion brand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Keel Labs: Keel Labs develops seaweed-based Kelsun™ fiber as a regenerative textile alternative — an emerging player in the bio-based fiber space serving similar sustainable fashion and apparel brand customers.
• Ananas Anam: Ananas Anam produces Piñatex, a leather alternative made from pineapple leaf fiber — an emerging player competing in the same bio-based fashion and accessories material category as Simplifyber.
• unspun: unspun builds 3D weaving technology and on-demand apparel manufacturing — an emerging player that participated with Simplifyber in the Fashionology Summit panel and shares the mission of reducing fashion's manufacturing waste.
• TômTex: TômTex develops bio-based leather alternatives from food waste — an emerging player that, like Simplifyber, targets fashion and accessory applications with sustainable next-gen materials.

Direct peers

• MycoWorks: MycoWorks produces mycelium-based Fine Mycelium™ leather alternatives for fashion and automotive — a direct competitor for the same bio-based soft-goods slot Simplifyber targets with Fybron™.
• Bcomp: Bcomp produces flax-based natural fiber composites for automotive interiors and sports equipment — Simplifyber's co-collaborator on the Kia Concept EV2 program and a direct competitor in sustainable automotive interior materials.
• Spinnova: Spinnova manufactures wood-pulp-based textile fiber without harmful chemistry — a direct competitor to Simplifyber's wood-pulp-derived cellulose technology, targeting similar fashion brand customers in Europe.
• Bolt Threads: Bolt Threads develops bioengineered proteins (microsilk, mylo) for fashion and apparel — one of Simplifyber's most direct competitors in supplying next-gen sustainable materials to enterprise fashion brands.
• Natural Fiber Welding: Natural Fiber Welding creates plant-protein-based materials and yarns (CLARUS®, Mirum®) for fashion, footwear, and automotive — directly competing with Simplifyber's bio-based material platform across overlapping enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Carbios: Carbios develops enzymatic recycling technologies for PET and textiles — a broader incumbent in the sustainable materials space addressing fashion's circularity problem via a different (recycling) route than Simplifyber's bio-based substitution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simplifyber

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors17 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Simplifyber