Natural Fiber Welding
Natural Fiber Welding is a Peoria, Illinois materials science company that develops plastic-free, plant-based biomaterials — MIRUM (leather alternative), CLARUS (textiles), PLIANT (outsoles), and TUNERA (foam) — selling its ingredients to global fashion, footwear, automotive, and luxury brands including BMW, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, and New Balance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPeoria, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Natural Fiber Welding does
Natural Fiber Welding (NFW), a Delaware-incorporated materials science company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, develops a platform of plastic-free, plant-based biomaterials — MIRUM (leather alternative), CLARUS (precision-engineered natural textiles), PLIANT (naturally cured natural-rubber outsoles), and TUNERA (biobased foam) — using proprietary green chemistry and a patented biocurative system that replaces petrochemical curing with plant-based inputs. The company sells its materials as an 'ingredient brand' directly to global consumer-brand manufacturers across fashion, luxury, footwear, automotive, and home goods; notable customers include BMW (Neue Klasse interiors under the brand name 'Verdana'), Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, Richemont/IWC, Patagonia, H&M, New Balance, Vivobarefoot, Allbirds, and Bellroy. Development cycles are long and consultative (two years for BMW automotive qualification, requiring over 500 formulation changes), and the company also operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront selling finished products (e.g., the Runner K21 MIRUM shoe) as both a revenue channel and a proof-of-performance demonstration.
The business model combines direct B2B material sales with technology and brand licensing, underpinned by an extensive intellectual property portfolio (16 granted US patents and parallel international patents across China, EU, Japan, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia and Mexico, plus 70+ registered trademarks and 180+ pending). Pricing is quote-based, negotiated enterprise-by-enterprise under multi-year contracts, with no public list prices; the company cites cost parity with premium compression-molded rubber and conventional PU leather alternatives. The company has raised approximately $230M+ in disclosed funding across multiple rounds (notably $15M in 2021, an $85M Series B led by Evolution VC Partners in April 2022, and a January 2026 strategic investment from Provest Equity Partners and CTW Venture Partners following a 2025 operational wind-down and subsequent revival. Manufacturing is concentrated in Peoria, Illinois, with regenerative rubber sourced from a Terra Genesis partnership in Thailand's Songkhla watershed and a growing supply-chain of certified, ethically managed Hevea brasiliensis forestry.
Natural Fiber Welding firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Natural Fiber Welding
- Legal name
- Natural Fiber Welding, Inc.
- Website
- https://nfw.earth
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Natural Fiber Welding is a Peoria, Illinois materials science company that develops plastic-free, plant-based biomaterials — MIRUM (leather alternative), CLARUS (textiles), PLIANT (outsoles), and TUNERA (foam) — selling its ingredients to global fashion, footwear, automotive, and luxury brands including BMW, Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren, and New Balance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Natural Fiber Welding industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Biomaterials
- NAICS
- Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (32522), Resin and Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (32521)
- SIC
- Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Bio-based Materials & Fibers (e.g., cellulose derivatives, lignin-based materials, nanocellulose) (EUAAAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Molded Fiber & Bio-composite Materials (natural fiber-reinforced plastics) (IMANANAE), Nonwoven Fabric Mills (Spunbond/Meltblown/Needle-punched) (IMAOABAC)
Keywords
Where Natural Fiber Welding is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Peoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Natural Fiber Welding business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Material Sales (Ingredient Brand Model): NFW sells its proprietary materials (MIRUM, PLIANT, CLARUS, TUNERA) as ingredient brands to manufacturing partners and brand customers who incorporate them into finished goods. Revenue is generated through direct material sales to brands across footwear, fashion, automotive, and home goods verticals.
- Licensing and Technology Platform Fees: NFW's extensive patent portfolio and proprietary technology platform generate revenue through licensing arrangements with manufacturing and brand partners. The company licenses its technology to enable production of its branded material families at scale.
- Finished Product Sales (E-commerce): NFW operates its own e-commerce storefront (shop.nfw.earth) selling finished products made with its materials, including the Runner K21 MIRUM shoe, providing a direct-to-consumer revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise / B2B Material Sales |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Natural Fiber Welding product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Natural Fiber Welding manufactures and sells a platform of plastic-free, 100% biobased materials — MIRUM (plant-based leather alternative), CLARUS (precision-engineered textiles), PLIANT (naturally cured natural rubber outsoles), and TUNERA (biobased foam) — produced from natural rubber, plant oils, waxes, and minerals using proprietary green chemistry. The company sells these materials primarily B2B to enterprise brand partners in the fashion, footwear, automotive, and home goods industries, and also operates a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop selling finished products.
Product overview
NFW is a materials science company offering a platform of plastic-free biomaterials for industrial applications. The company's product portfolio consists of four core material products: MIRUM (plant-based leather alternative), CLARUS (precision-engineered textiles), PLIANT (natural rubber outsoles), and TUNERA (biobased foam). These materials are designed to replace petroleum-based plastics across footwear, fashion, automotive, and home goods industries. All products follow NFW's 'Ground Rules' philosophy: Start Well (natural ingredients only), Stay Clean (non-toxic processing), and End Well (materials safely return to earth). The platform is backed by an extensive patent portfolio spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MIRUM®: World's first plastic-free alternative to leather - a low-carbon, biobased, tunable material for fashion, footwear, automotive, and accessories.
- CLARUS®
- PLIANT™
- TUNERA™
Products and services
- MIRUM® The world's first plastic-free, 100% biobased alternative to leather, made from natural rubber, plant oils and waxes, natural pigments, and minerals, cured with NFW's patented plant-based biocurative. Sold as a tunable material in various finishes and colors for applications across footwear, fashion, automotive interiors, and accessories.
- CLARUS® Tunable, precision-engineered textiles that use closed-loop green chemistry to enhance natural yarns (both virgin and recycled), enabling knits, wind-resistant wovens, and durable cotton canvas with performance features previously achievable only with synthetics. 100% return-to-earth compatible.
- PLIANT™ The world's first naturally cured performance rubber outsoles, derived from the sap of Hevea brasiliensis trees in FSC-certified forests and cured with NFW's patented plant-based curative. Zero plastics, both recyclable and naturally circular. Sold as bulk compound or finished molded outsoles to footwear brands.
- TUNERA™ First-in-kind 100% biobased foam made from natural rubber, vegetable oil, minerals, and cork, serving as a plastic-free alternative to ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyurethane foams. Maintains comfort over time better than incumbent synthetic foams and is designed for natural circularity.
- NFW E-commerce Storefront (shop.nfw.earth) NFW's own online shop selling finished products (e.g., the Runner K21 MIRUM shoe) made with its proprietary materials, serving both as a revenue channel and a tangible demonstration vehicle for material performance.
Quantifiable outcome
- PLIANT™ achieves tensile and tear strength exceeding three times the highest industry-standard footwear specifications, with strong DIN abrasion resistance
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Natural Fiber Welding
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Natural Fiber Welding technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Natural Fiber Welding partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- VivobarefootcoreVivobarefoot partnered with NFW to launch the Gobi II Sneaker made with 98% natural materials, incorporating NFW's PLIANT outsole and Thai-sourced chrome-free leather. This represents a major commercial footwear partnership where NFW materials are featured in a live product SKU. Vivobarefoot is a leading sustainable footwear brand focused on natural, minimalist shoe design.
- Terra GenesiscoreNFW partners with Terra Genesis (a regenerative design firm) to build a new market for regenerative latex from the Thepha farmer cooperative in South Thailand's Songkhla watershed. Terra Genesis developed Ethos Regenerative Outcome Verification (Ethos ROV) to track regenerative metrics. NFW covers operational costs of the program, which has onboarded 40 farmers across 180 hectares of Wanakaset agroforestry.
- Lenzing AGsupportingLenzing AG partnered with NFW in February 2023 to support MIRUM plant-based leather technology. Lenzing is a leading producer of wood-based textile fibers, and the partnership leverages Lenzing's position in the sustainable textiles ecosystem to advance adoption of NFW's materials.
- Conservation X LabssupportingNFW was selected as one of five winners in Conservation X Labs' Microfiber Innovation Challenge, winning a share of the $525,000 prize for solutions to reduce microfiber pollution from clothing and textiles. This recognition was for NFW's plant-based material technology addressing microplastic shedding from synthetic textiles.
- BaredsupportingAustralian footwear brand Bared partnered with NFW in 2022, launching MIRUM uppers (2023) and PLIANT outsoles (2024). Bared's goal is 100% biobased materials for every shoe component, making NFW's multi-material platform particularly strategic for their needs.
- Stella McCartneycoreStella McCartney has partnered with NFW since 2019, featuring MIRUM in Frayme and Falabella handbags for Winter '23 collection (Fashion Week debut) and subsequent collections. Stella McCartney is a special advisor on sustainability to LVMH's CEO and is described as a 'change maker' in sustainable luxury fashion. She is also an investor through the Collaborative Fund invested in NFW.
- DeckerssupportingDeckers (parent company of UGG, Hoka, Teva, Sanuk) has partnered with NFW to incorporate MIRUM material in its product lines, supporting NFW's entry into the footwear and lifestyle brand market.
- ReformationsupportingReformation, a sustainable fashion brand, has partnered with NFW to incorporate MIRUM material in fashion collections, aligning with Reformation's brand positioning on sustainability and environmental impact.
- H&MsupportingH&M partnered with NFW to incorporate MIRUM in accessible sustainable fashion collections, leveraging H&M's global retail reach to scale adoption of plant-based materials.
- PatagoniasupportingPatagonia partnered with NFW using CLARUS technology for performance outdoor apparel, applying NFW's material science to enhance natural fibers in Patagonia's sustainability-focused product lines.
- New BalancesupportingNew Balance partnered with NFW using MIRUM for sustainable performance footwear, combining New Balance's athletic footwear design with NFW's plant-based material technology.
- Richemont (IWC Shaffhausen)supportingRichemont Group (including IWC Shaffhausen) partnered with NFW using MIRUM for luxury watch straps and accessories, applying plant-based leather alternative technology in the high-end luxury goods segment.
- Karl LagerfeldsupportingKarl Lagerfeld brand partnered with NFW to incorporate plant-based materials in fashion collections, leveraging the legacy of the iconic designer in sustainable fashion innovation.
- PangaiasupportingPangaia, a materials science company focused on sustainable fashion, partnered with NFW to incorporate plant-based materials in its innovative product collections.
- Unless CollectivesupportingUnless Collective partnered with NFW for sustainable fashion, applying NFW's plant-based material technologies in their circular fashion design approach.
- BellroysupportingBellroy (Australian sustainable accessories brand) partnered with NFW using MIRUM for wallets and small leather goods, applying plant-based leather alternative in accessories.
- Melina BuchersupportingGerman sustainable luxury handbag brand Melina Bucher partnered with NFW to create the world's first fully bio-based handbag using MIRUM, developed over five years with innovative materials including MIRUM, BioPuff, hemp residues, and mycelium foam.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Natural Fiber Welding competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MycoWorks: MycoWorks produces Reishi, a mycelium-based leather alternative. It is a direct competitor to NFW's MIRUM in the bio-based leather space, with comparable enterprise brand partnerships including Hermès, GM, and Ligne Roset. Both companies are pursuing luxury and automotive OEM qualifications.
- Bolt Threads: Bolt Threads develops Mylo, a mycelium-based leather alternative, along with other bio-based materials. It directly competes with NFW in sustainable leather alternatives and has partnerships with Stella McCartney, Adidas, and Lululemon, overlapping with several of NFW's brand partners.
- Modern Meadow: Modern Meadow develops bio-based leather alternatives using protein and biotechnology approaches. It competes directly with NFW in the plant-based leather alternative category, targeting fashion, footwear, and automotive applications with similar sustainability positioning.
- Ananas Anam: Ananas Anam produces Piñatex, a pineapple leaf fiber-based leather alternative. It is a direct competitor in plant-based leather alternatives, primarily serving fashion and accessories brands with comparable sustainability credentials to NFW's MIRUM.
- Desserto: Desserto produces cactus-based leather alternatives targeting fashion, automotive, and footwear. It is a direct competitor to NFW's MIRUM in plant-based leather, with a comparable sustainability story and overlapping customer segments, particularly in automotive and luxury accessories.
Emerging players
- Spiber: Spiber produces Brewed Protein, a plant-derived (sugar-fed) protein fiber for apparel and other applications. It is an emerging player in bio-based materials with a comparable sustainability narrative, though its focus is more on textiles/fibers than leather alternatives directly.
- Ecovative Design: Ecovative develops mycelium-based materials for packaging, fashion, and food. While more focused on packaging and foams (overlapping with NFW's TUNERA), it represents an emerging alternative in the bio-based materials space using similar sustainable positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Adidas (Future Materials): Adidas is a major athletic footwear brand that has publicly committed to using bio-based and recycled materials, including mycelium leather (with Bolt Threads). It represents a large incumbent customer that NFW targets via MIRUM and PLIANT but which can choose among multiple bio-based material suppliers.
- Asahi Kasei: Asahi Kasei is a large Japanese diversified chemical manufacturer producing synthetic fibers, resins, and performance materials. It is both a strategic investor in NFW and a broad incumbent competitor with the resources and IP portfolio to develop comparable bio-based alternatives at scale.
Others
- Lenzing AG: Lenzing AG is a leading producer of wood-based cellulose fibers (TENCEL, Lyocell) and a strategic partner of NFW (announced February 2023). While not a direct competitor in leather alternatives, Lenzing represents an adjacent enabling player in sustainable textiles that could either partner or compete with NFW's CLARUS technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Natural Fiber Welding social profiles
Digital presenceNatural Fiber Welding compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Natural Fiber Welding financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Natural Fiber Welding leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Natural Fiber Welding funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors30 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Natural Fiber Welding M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Natural Fiber Welding
What does Natural Fiber Welding do?
Natural Fiber Welding manufactures and sells a platform of plastic-free, 100% biobased materials — MIRUM (plant-based leather alternative), CLARUS (precision-engineered textiles), PLIANT (naturally cured natural rubber outsoles), and TUNERA (biobased foam) — produced from natural rubber, plant oils, waxes, and minerals using proprietary green chemistry. The company sells these materials primarily B2B to enterprise brand partners in the fashion, footwear, automotive, and home goods industries, and also operates a small direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop selling finished products.
Is Natural Fiber Welding a public or private company?
Natural Fiber Welding is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Natural Fiber Welding founded?
Natural Fiber Welding was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Natural Fiber Welding based?
Natural Fiber Welding is headquartered in Peoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Natural Fiber Welding make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Material Sales (Ingredient Brand Model) is the primary driver. The others are licensing and Technology Platform Fees and finished Product Sales (E-commerce).
Who are Natural Fiber Welding's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MycoWorks, Bolt Threads, Modern Meadow, Ananas Anam and Desserto. Emerging players are Spiber and Ecovative Design. Broad incumbents are Adidas (Future Materials) and Asahi Kasei. Lenzing AG is listed as an others.
Does Natural Fiber Welding have an API?
No public API is recorded for Natural Fiber Welding.
What industry is Natural Fiber Welding in?
Natural Fiber Welding's product category is Sustainable Biomaterials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAAAIAD, Bio-based Materials & Fibers (e.g., cellulose derivatives, lignin-based materials, nanocellulose), with a secondary code of IMANANAE, Molded Fiber & Bio-composite Materials (natural fiber-reinforced plastics). Its NAICS code is 3252 and its SIC code is 2820.