Colorifix
Colorifix is a UK-based synthetic biology company that engineers microorganisms to produce and fix natural pigments onto textiles, selling bioreactors, biological dyes, and concentrated drop-in dye solutions to dye houses, textile mills, and fashion brands seeking to replace toxic chemical dyeing processes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersNorwich, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Colorifix does
Colorifix is a UK-based synthetic biology company that has developed a biological process for producing, depositing, and fixing pigments onto textiles, replacing the synthetic chemistry used in conventional textile dyeing. The platform works by identifying colour-producing organisms in nature, extracting the relevant DNA sequences from online databases, engineering microorganisms (bacteria or yeast) to express those pigments, and growing the microbes via fermentation on non-hazardous agricultural by-products. The engineered microorganisms are eliminated during the dyeing step through validated inactivation, so the process operates under genetically modified conditions but yields a non-genetically modified end product classified at the lowest safety tier (risk class 1, containment level 1). Colorifix serves two primary customer segments: dye houses and textile mills (its direct enterprise customers who purchase bioreactors and pigments), and fashion brands (which act as indirect demand drivers through capsule collections and consumer-facing launches).
The company's product portfolio comprises three interconnected offerings: the core Colorifix Biological Textile Dyeing Technology, the CFX Bioreactor hardware line (patent-pending 300L and 3000L plug-and-play fermentation units using jet technology and Venturi pumps with built-in air sterilization and remote monitoring), and Colorifix Concentrate (a drop-in dye solution for customers without fermentation capability). Third-party verified life cycle assessment data shows 80% reduction in chemical use, 77% lower water consumption, 71% less natural gas, 53% less electricity, and 31% lower CO2 emissions versus conventional dyeing. Colorifix holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and OEKO-TEX Eco Passport accreditation for its dyes.
Colorifix generates revenue through a combination of hardware sales (CFX bioreactors with multi-year contracts, installation, and training), usage-based supply of biological pigments and fermentation media, and transaction-based sales of Colorifix Concentrate. The company employs 51-100 staff across its Norwich headquarters and R&D center, a Cambridge pilot plant, and a Portugal manufacturing site for bioreactors and fermentation media. It has raised approximately $49.7M cumulatively across four funding rounds, including £18M Series B led by H&M Group Ventures in 2022 and a $18M round led by Inter IKEA Group with H&M Group Ventures participation in 2025. Brand partners include H&M, Pangaia, and Vollebak; the company was an Earthshot Prize finalist in 2025.
Colorifix firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Colorifix
- Legal name
- Colorifix Ltd
- Website
- https://colorifix.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Colorifix is a UK-based synthetic biology company that engineers microorganisms to produce and fix natural pigments onto textiles, selling bioreactors, biological dyes, and concentrated drop-in dye solutions to dye houses, textile mills, and fashion brands seeking to replace toxic chemical dyeing processes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Colorifix industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biological Textile Dyeing
- NAICS
- Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133), Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (325130), Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Textile Mills (313)
- SIC
- Textile Mill Products (2200), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dyeing Operations (Piece/Yarn/Fiber/Garment) (IMAOACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing) (IMAOAMAM), Bio-based Materials & Fibers (e.g., cellulose derivatives, lignin-based materials, nanocellulose) (EUAAAIAD), Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH)
Keywords
Where Colorifix is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Norwich
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Colorifix 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
Revenue model
- Bioreactor Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary CFX bioreactors (300L or 3000L capacity) to dye houses and textile mills. Includes installation, implementation support, and training services provided by dedicated teams.
- Biological Pigments/Dyes Supply: Supply of freeze-dried, colour-producing microbes to customers who grow them via fermentation into hundreds to thousands of litres of colour. Media solutions also provided as cost-effective food for microorganisms.
- Colorifix Concentrate: Drop-in solution of Colorifix Concentrated Dyes ready to use with just the addition of water, similar to traditional dyes. No fermentors required for this product variant.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bioreactor systems (300L or 3000L) with implementation support |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Colorifix Concentrate (dye solution) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Colorifix product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Colorifix develops and sells a biological process for producing, depositing, and fixing pigments onto textiles using engineered microorganisms. The company sells proprietary CFX bioreactors (300L and 3000L capacity) for on-site fermentation, supplies biological pigments and growth media to dye houses and textile mills, and offers Colorifix Concentrate as a drop-in dye solution for mills without fermentation capability. Customers include dye houses, textile mills, and fashion brands across Europe and Asia.
Product overview
Colorifix offers a biological textile dyeing solution consisting of three interconnected offerings: the core Colorifix Biological Textile Dyeing Technology (a GM process that produces non-GM pigments), the CFX Bioreactors (patented 300L and 3000L fermentation hardware for on-site colour production), and the Colorifix Concentrate (a drop-in dye alternative for operations without fermentation capability). The technology enables dye houses and textile mills to grow colour-producing microorganisms on-site using standard industrial equipment, eliminating toxic chemicals while reducing water and energy consumption.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CFX: Bioreactor systems for microbial fermentation and colour production on-site at textile mills and dye houses. The CFX brand covers the hardware, media solutions, and implementation services for the bioreactors.
Products and services
- Colorifix Biological Textile Dyeing Technology A biological dyeing platform that identifies pigment-producing organisms in nature, extracts DNA codes from online databases, engineers safe Colorifix microbes (bacteria or yeast) with that DNA, and grows them via fermentation to dye textiles on standard industrial dye machines. The GM process produces a non-GM final product through validated inactivation steps. Sold to dye houses, textile mills, and fashion brands as a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical dyeing.
- CFX Bioreactors Patent-pending plug-and-play bioreactors available in 300L and 3000L capacities for on-site fermentation of colour-producing microorganisms at dye houses and textile mills. Features jet technology and Venturi pumps for mixing and aeration, innovative air sterilisation systems eliminating expensive filters, simple clean-in-place functionality, and remote data storage and access capabilities. Sold directly to industrial dye houses and textile mills.
- Colorifix Concentrate A drop-in concentrated dye solution that requires only the addition of water to use, similar to traditional textile dyes, and requires no fermentation equipment at the customer site. Sold to dye houses and textile mills that want the sustainability benefits of biological pigments without investing in on-site bioreactor infrastructure.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% chemical reduction compared to conventional dyeing
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Colorifix
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Colorifix technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Colorifix partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.
- PangaiaflagshipCollaboration on capsule collection using Colorifix technology. Pangaia's Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Amanda Parkes described it as application of 'high tech naturalism' philosophy. Products launched into consumer wardrobes.
- VollebakflagshipPartnership on DNA T-shirt collection using biology-based dyes. CEO and founder Steve Tidball described Colorifix as one of the most exciting innovations with the widest possible breadth for using nature as a colour bank.
- H&MflagshipCollaboration on Colour Story collection using Colorifix's biological process. H&M Concept Designer Ella Soccorsi noted Colorifix is the first company to use a natural, biological process to produce and fix pigments onto textiles.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Colorifix competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Modern Meadow: US bio-fabrication company using engineered proteins for sustainable materials including textiles and leather alternatives. Comparable as a synbio platform targeting fashion and apparel brands with sustainability positioning, although focused on materials rather than dyeing.
- Bolt Threads: US biotech using engineered microbes and fermentation to produce sustainable textile fibers and proteins (e.g., b-silk, mycelium-based materials). Comparable as a synthetic biology platform serving the fashion/textile sustainability market, though focused on fibers rather than dyes.
- Spinnova: Finnish sustainable textile fiber producer using mechanical processing of wood pulp into textile fibers. Comparable as a sustainability-focused textile material innovator serving major fashion brands, though at the fiber rather than dye step.
- DyeCoo: Dutch supplier of supercritical CO2 waterless dyeing equipment and technology for the textile industry. Competes for the same sustainability-driven capex budgets at dye houses and mills as Colorifix's bioreactor offering, but via a different technological approach (no water, no chemistry).
Broad incumbents
- DyStar: Singapore-headquartered global supplier of dyes, auxiliaries, and textile chemicals with deep relationships across textile mills worldwide. Comparable as an incumbent that Colorifix must displace or partner with at the mill level.
- Archroma: Swiss-based global specialty chemicals company supplying dyes, finishes, and sustainable textile chemistry. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing in textile dyeing and increasingly positioning 'cleaner' chemistry lines against bio-based alternatives like Colorifix.
- Huntsman Textile Effects: Global textile chemicals and dyes division of Huntsman Corporation, supplying the world's major textile mills. Comparable as a large incumbent dye and chemicals supplier that Colorifix competes against in mill procurement decisions.
Direct peers
- Huue: San Francisco-based startup using synthetic biology to produce indigo and other dyes for the textile industry. Direct competitor to Colorifix in microbial/bio-based textile pigment production, targeting the same dye house and brand customers.
- Stony Creek Colors: US company producing plant-based indigo and other natural dyes for the textile and apparel industry. Comparable as a non-synthetic, bio-derived dye supplier serving fashion brands seeking sustainable colorants.
- Pili: French biotech using fermentation to produce renewable, bio-based dyes and pigments for textile and other industries. Closely comparable to Colorifix in technology approach (microbial fermentation of colorants) and end-market focus on textile dyeing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Colorifix social profiles
Digital presenceColorifix compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Colorifix financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Colorifix leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Colorifix subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Colorifix funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Colorifix 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 Colorifix
What does Colorifix do?
Colorifix develops and sells a biological process for producing, depositing, and fixing pigments onto textiles using engineered microorganisms. The company sells proprietary CFX bioreactors (300L and 3000L capacity) for on-site fermentation, supplies biological pigments and growth media to dye houses and textile mills, and offers Colorifix Concentrate as a drop-in dye solution for mills without fermentation capability. Customers include dye houses, textile mills, and fashion brands across Europe and Asia.
Is Colorifix a public or private company?
Colorifix is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Colorifix founded?
Colorifix was founded in 2014. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Colorifix based?
Colorifix is headquartered in Norwich, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Colorifix make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Bioreactor Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are biological Pigments/Dyes Supply and colorifix Concentrate.
Who are Colorifix's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Modern Meadow, Bolt Threads, Spinnova and DyeCoo. Broad incumbents are DyStar, Archroma and Huntsman Textile Effects. Direct peers are Huue, Stony Creek Colors and Pili.
Does Colorifix have an API?
No public API is recorded for Colorifix.
What industry is Colorifix in?
Colorifix's product category is Biological Textile Dyeing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOACAB, Dyeing Operations (Piece/Yarn/Fiber/Garment), with a secondary code of IMAOAMAM, Biobased, Compostable & Low-Impact Material Innovation (Bio-polymers/Dope Dyeing). Its NAICS code is 3133 and its SIC code is 2200.