What Sympatex Technologies does

Sympatex Technologies is a German B2B ingredient brand that develops and supplies high-performance, sustainable membranes and laminates to outdoor apparel, footwear, professional workwear, and selected industrial customers. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Unterföhring, Germany, with its primary operating entity Sympatex GmbH owned by Italian parent PIDIGI S.p.A. (Verona), the company specializes in a proprietary non-porous polyester-based membrane that transports water vapor through hydrophilic molecular chains driven by temperature and humidity gradients, rather than via microporous openings. The membrane exceeds 45,000 mm water column, is 100% PFAS-free, has been climate-neutral since 2017 through a partnership with ClimatePartner, and incorporates more than 25% bio-based raw materials since 2021 alongside a Fiber2Fiber recycling stream and a mono-material laminate concept.

The company's product portfolio centers on the Sympatex Membrane, Sympatex Laminates in multiple variants (including Mono-material and Fiber2Fiber lines such as Singapore Starlight, Minzhou, Kyoto, Tokyo, Berlin, Banff, and Sherpa), supporting seam sealing tapes, the Responsible Design Guide consulting material, and a Digital Fabric Library. Notable commercial deployments include serial production of Fiber2Fiber laminates for French Post uniforms, partners Vaude, Camel Active, HELIX, Galibier, and running-shoe startup 4T2, plus a new motorcycle-apparel collaboration with Sabine.

Sympatex commercializes exclusively B2B via direct sales offices in Germany, China (Dongguan), and Korea (Seoul), supported by independent sales agents across Brazil, Italy, India, Japan, Pakistan, Slovenia/Croatia/Serbia, and Turkey. Revenue is generated through licensing and supply of membrane and laminate technology to brand partners, with pricing negotiated by volume and specification rather than published. In September 2025, Kim Scholze became sole Managing Director, and in 2025 the company announced intent to reorganize through insolvency proceedings while stating operations continue without restriction and wages for approximately 70 employees are secured through insolvency funds. The company continues to exhibit at Performance Days, Techtextil, and Lineapelle in 2026 alongside new product introductions.

Name

Sympatex Technologies

Legal name

Sympatex GmbH

Website

https://sympatex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sympatex Technologies is a German B2B ingredient brand that develops proprietary non-porous, PFAS-free polyester membranes and laminates for outdoor apparel, footwear, and professional clothing brands globally. Founded 1986; headquartered in Unterföhring, Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Textile Membranes and Laminates

NAICS

Fabric Coating Mills (313320), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133)

SIC

Plastic Material, Synth Resin/Rubber, Cellulos (No Glass) (2820)

akta.pro primary industry

Coated, Laminated & Membrane Fabrics (CRAAAMAF)

Keywords

• Waterproof membranes
• Breathable laminates
• Functional textiles
• Outdoor apparel materials
• Circular textile technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Unterföhring

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membrane and Laminate Licensing: Sympatex licenses its membrane technology and sells laminated fabrics to brand partners in the outdoor, footwear, and professional clothing industries. Brand partners pay for the use of Sympatex membranes in their products, receiving certified functional materials.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sympatex Technologies manufactures and licenses a non-porous, polyester-based hydrophilic membrane and a portfolio of laminated fabrics for outdoor apparel, footwear, professional/protective clothing, and technical industrial applications. The membrane provides waterproof, windproof, and dynamic breathability through physical-chemical moisture transport and is sold in mono-material and Fiber2Fiber variants to brand partners worldwide as a B2B ingredient brand.

Product overview

Sympatex Technologies is an ingredient brand specializing in high-functional, sustainable polyester membranes and laminates for outdoor apparel, footwear, and professional/protective clothing. The core product is the Sympatex Membrane—a pore-free compact membrane providing waterproof, windproof, and breathable protection using hydrophilic molecular chains. The membrane is combined with outer and lining fabrics to create Laminates, which are sold in various product lines including Mono-material Laminates (designed for recyclability) and Fiber2Fiber (F2F) Laminates (made from textile waste). Supporting products include Seam Sealing Tapes for waterproof construction, the Responsible Design Guide for circular design consulting, and the Digital Fabric Library for material sourcing. The company positions itself as 'More than a Membrane' with a complete sustainability-focused portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sympatex Membrane Polyester-based, pore-free compact membrane providing waterproof, windproof, and breathable protection through a physical-chemical principle. Uses hydrophilic molecular chains to transport water vapor from inside to outside based on temperature and humidity gradients. Sold as an ingredient input to B2B brand partners.
• Sympatex Laminates Functional Sympatex membranes combined with outer and lining fabrics into laminated textiles, with matched seam sealing tapes to ensure waterproof end products. Available in multiple configurations for outdoor apparel, footwear, and professional clothing applications.
• Fiber2Fiber (F2F) Laminates Laminates manufactured from textile waste, enabling textile-to-textile recycling and closing the circular economy loop. Product variants include Singapore Starlight F2F AS, Minzhou F2F Flair AS, and Kyoto F2F Spring AS.
• Mono-material Laminates Polyester-based single-material laminates designed for easy recyclability at end of product life, forming the foundation for closing the textile loop.
• Tokyo Laminate Laminate product from the Sympatex portfolio offering specific performance characteristics for outdoor apparel applications.
• Berlin Laminate Laminate product from the Sympatex portfolio, part of the tide collection featuring sustainable design characteristics.
• Sherpa Laminate Laminate product designed for Sherpa/outdoor applications with enhanced warmth and protection characteristics.
• Singapore Starlight F2F AS Lightweight, stretchable, packable F2F laminate designed for active movement and performance apparel applications.
• Banff Laminate Laminate product from the Sympatex factsheet collection, named after the Banff region for outdoor/nature applications.
• Seam Sealing Tapes Specially developed tapes matched to corresponding laminates for waterproof seam welding, completing the waterproof construction of Sympatex-equipped products.
• Digital Fabric Library Digital platform for material sourcing at Sympatex, enabling brand partners to access and select Sympatex materials digitally.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30x lower CO2 footprint than PTFE polymer production
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PIDIGI S.p.A.coreOthersParent company of the Sympatex brand. PIDIGI S.p.A. is an Italian company based in Verona, Italy, that owns the Sympatex trademark and oversees the brand's operations.
• ClimatePartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2017, ClimatePartner has been Sympatex's partner for CO2 compensation. ClimatePartner certifies that Sympatex compensates for the CO2 emissions of its entire annual membrane production through certified CO2 projects.
• wear2wearmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSympatex is a co-founder of wear2wear, an innovative partnership of competent European companies with the goal of producing new textiles from used garments.
• Accelerating Circularity Europe (ACPE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSympatex is involved in the ACPE project designed to accelerate the transition of the textile industry from linear to circular production, reducing textile waste going to landfills.
• Worldly (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition)coreTechnology or IntegrationSympatex is a member of Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition) and uses Higg tools (HIGG FEM, FSLM, BRM) and Higg MSI for environmental impact assessment and supply chain transparency.
• Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien (Textile Alliance)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSympatex has been a member since 2015. Since 2018, all member companies are required to conduct risk analysis and publish individual roadmaps on pollutant management, environment, social standards, and fibers.
• ITM S.A. (Brazil)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent representing Sympatex in Brazil for footwear sector, located in Farroupilha, Brazil.
• ETP S.A.S. (Italy)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent and consultant for apparel and footwear tenders in Italy, based in Muggiò (MB).
• Sportiva Lifestyle Pvt. Ltd. (India)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent representing Sympatex in India, located in New Delhi.
• Marubeni Fashion Link (Japan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent representing Sympatex in Japan, based in Tokyo.
• Mavisa d.o.o. (Slovenia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent representing Sympatex in Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, located in Trzin, Slovenia.
• Sentinus Tekstil (Turkey)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent representing Sympatex in Turkey, located in Istanbul.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore-Tex): W. L. Gore manufactures Gore-Tex, the dominant ePTFE-based waterproof breathable membrane used in outdoor apparel, footwear, and professional clothing. Gore is the closest direct peer to Sympatex, competing head-to-head as a B2B ingredient brand licensing membrane technology to outdoor and footwear brands, with very similar application focus and customer segments.
• Polartec: Polartec is a US-based manufacturer of performance fabrics and laminates including NeoShell, Power Shield, and Wind Pro used by outdoor and activewear brands. It competes directly with Sympatex in the B2B performance fabric/laminate space serving similar apparel brands with coated/laminated technologies for weather protection.
• Pertex (Mitsui & Co.): Pertex specializes in tightly woven and coated/laminated fabrics used as outer face materials for insulated garments, sleeping bags, and wind shells in outdoor apparel. Pertex competes in the same B2B ingredient-brand model as Sympatex and supplies to many of the same outdoor and apparel brand partners across the lightweight performance category.
• Schoeller Textil AG: Schoeller is a Swiss textile manufacturer producing coated and laminated performance fabrics with comparable focus on sustainable textile chemistry (e.g., bluesign-certified, PFAS-free) for outdoor, sportswear, and workwear. It is a direct peer offering similar membrane/laminate solutions to apparel and footwear brands with comparable sustainability positioning.
• eVent (by Avail Infrastructure Solutions, formerly GE): eVent manufactures PTFE-based and ePTFE-free waterproof breathable membranes for outdoor and tactical applications. It directly competes with Sympatex in the B2B performance membrane space serving footwear, apparel, and glove manufacturers.

Broad incumbents

• Toray Industries: Toray is a large Japanese diversified materials company producing synthetic fibers, membranes, and laminates used across apparel, automotive, and industrial applications. It overlaps with Sympatex through its Performance Chemicals and textiles segments supplying waterproof breathable membranes and coated fabrics to apparel brands globally.
• Teijin Limited: Teijin is a major Japanese materials group producing aramid fibers, carbon fiber, and performance textiles including functional membranes used in protective and outdoor applications. Teijin competes broadly with Sympatex in the high-performance technical textiles space, though it operates a far wider product portfolio across industries.
• 3M (Protective Materials / Thinsulate): 3M produces Thinsulate insulation and other performance materials used in outerwear, footwear, and protective apparel. 3M competes in the broader technical apparel materials market that includes waterproof breathable membranes and laminates, serving many of the same apparel and footwear brand customers.
• Mitsui Chemicals (Mitsui & Co. group, performance materials): Mitsui Chemicals develops specialty polymer and coating technologies for performance textiles, including waterproof/breathable solutions supplied via downstream brands. Overlaps with Sympatex in advanced chemistry for functional apparel and footwear membranes, though within a much broader chemicals and materials portfolio.

Emerging players

• Cordura (INVISTA): Cordura produces high-tenacity fabric technologies used in durable outerwear and performance applications including laminates. It is comparable to Sympatex as a B2B ingredient brand supplying performance fabric technologies to outdoor, footwear, and workwear manufacturers, though Cordura's focus is on abrasion/durability rather than waterproof breathability.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sympatex-technologies
• Instagraminstagram.com/sympatex_official
• Xx.com/SympatexTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/sympatex

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sympatex Technologies