The Formary
The Formary Limited is a Wellington-based sustainability consultancy and textile R&D agency, founded 2008, serving textile organisations and brands worldwide with sustainability strategy, proprietary textile recycling innovations (WoJo®, Juton®, Mibu®), the Usedfully® material flow platform, and the New Zealand Textile Reuse Programme.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Formary does
The Formary Limited is a purpose-driven sustainability consultancy and textile research and development agency founded in 2008 in Wellington, New Zealand. The firm operates with a small team (1-10 employees) and serves textile organisations, brands, and retailers worldwide — from global enterprises to small social enterprises — helping them develop strategic approaches to sustainability, reduce supply chain risk, and transition toward circular economy models. Its service portfolio spans sustainability strategy consulting, ethical procurement advisory, staff training, part-time sustainability management support, and bespoke textile R&D.
The company's core product suite is built around three registered-trademark innovations: WoJo® (high-performance upholstery fabric regenerated from Starbucks' used jute coffee sacks), Juton® (a versatile canvas blending coffee sacks with off-cut cotton), and Mibu® (a luxury interior textile combining rice straw fibre with wool). These are complemented by the proprietary Usedfully® digital platform, which tracks material flows, fibre types, carbon, water, and financial values across textile supply chains to enable transparency and resource optimisation. The Formary is also the architect of the Textile Reuse Programme, a public-private collaboration launched in 2018 by Hon. Eugenie Sage alongside the Ministry for the Environment, Alsco New Zealand, Deane Apparel, Barkers Menswear, Wellington Zoo, and Wellington City Council, designed to build a nationwide system for textile recovery in New Zealand.
Revenue is generated through professional services (sustainability consultancy and R&D engagements, typically multi-year contracts priced via custom proposal) and licensing royalties on the WoJo®, Juton®, and Mibu® product families, distributed through partnerships with supply partners. The go-to-market motion combines sales-led enterprise field sales targeting major brands, community-led growth via the Textile Reuse Programme, and direct enquiry-driven engagement through the company website. The customer base includes Starbucks, Wellington Zoo, Cerebos Greggs, Fonterra, Air New Zealand, NZ Post, The Warehouse Group, and SkyCity Auckland. The company is privately held with no institutional funding beyond a NZ$21,155 Callaghan Innovation grant in 2013, and operates as The Formary Limited under New Zealand jurisdiction.
The Formary firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Formary
- Legal name
- The Formary Limited
- Website
- https://theformary.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Formary Limited is a Wellington-based sustainability consultancy and textile R&D agency, founded 2008, serving textile organisations and brands worldwide with sustainability strategy, proprietary textile recycling innovations (WoJo®, Juton®, Mibu®), the Usedfully® material flow platform, and the New Zealand Textile Reuse Programme.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Formary industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Consulting and Textile R&D
- NAICS
- Textile Product Mills (314), Textile Furnishings Mills (3141), Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210), Curtain and Linen Mills (31412)
- SIC
- Textile Mill Products (2200), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Cotton (2211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Repair, Refurbishment & Upcycling Services (Industrial Scale) (IMAOAMAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Decorative & Soft Furnishings Manufacturing (Cushion Covers/Throws/Quilts) (IMAOAKAG), Sustainable & Certified Materials (Organic, Recycled, Traceable) (CRAAAMAK)
Keywords
Where The Formary is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Formary business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Sustainability Consultancy Services: Professional consultancy services helping organisations develop sustainability strategies, implement changes, and achieve measurable progress on environmental and social impacts in textile supply chains.
- Research & Development Services: Specialist textile R&D services delivering innovative products and solutions. Services span multiple markets from the United States to Europe and the Pacific, producing ground-breaking sustainable products.
- Licensing Royalties (WoJo®, Juton®, Mibu®): Products developed through client partnerships may generate licensing revenue through production and distribution arrangements with supply partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom consultancy engagement based on organisational needs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Formary product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Formary is a sustainability consultancy and textile research and development agency that helps textile and clothing organisations develop strategic sustainability approaches, reduce environmental impacts across their value chains, and transition to circular-economy models. It delivers bespoke sustainability consulting engagements and textile R&D services, develops branded innovative textile products (WoJo upholstery fabric, Juton canvas, Mibu interior textile) from waste streams, operates the Usedfully digital platform for material flow transparency, and runs the Textile Reuse Programme in New Zealand.
Product overview
The Formary offers a sustainability consultancy and textile research and development agency focused on the clothing and textile industry. Their portfolio comprises the Usedfully platform for tracking material flows and environmental impacts, the Textile Reuse Programme for nationwide textile recovery in New Zealand, and innovative textile products including WoJo (upholstery fabric from coffee sacks), Mibu (rice straw and wool interior textile), and Juton (versatile canvas from recycled coffee sacks). The company also provides consultancy services including sustainability strategy, implementation support, and ethical procurement guidance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Usedfully®: Digital platform providing transparency over clothing material flows and environmental impacts for optimal resource management, driving reuse and recovery of textile resources.
- WoJo®
- Juton®
- Mibu
Products and services
- Usedfully Digital platform providing transparency over clothing material flows and environmental impacts for optimal resource management. Tracks material flows from retail/sale through to end of use and generates metrics on volumes, fibre types, carbon, water, and financial values for textile brands and organisations.
- Textile Reuse Programme Public/private sector collaboration in New Zealand building a nationwide system for used clothing and textiles to capture their full value and significantly reduce environmental impacts from textile production and decomposition. Partners include industry, government, and social-enterprise organisations.
- WoJo High-performance upholstery fabric created from regenerated jute coffee sacks in collaboration with Starbucks. Has won awards from HRH Prince Charles and sustainable design expert Kevin McCloud, and is used in interior applications across commercial settings.
- Mibu Interior textile combining rice straw fibre woven with wool to create a luxurious and resilient upholstery fabric. Increases crop value for agricultural producers and prevents rice straw burning after harvest.
- Juton Versatile canvas textile material made from coffee sacks blended with off-cut cotton from clothing manufacture and 30 percent new cotton. Suitable for interior textiles, bags, hats, and shoes.
- Sustainability Consultancy Professional consultancy services helping organisations develop sustainability strategies, implement changes, and achieve measurable progress on environmental and social impacts in textile supply chains. Engagements span strategy, implementation, pilot projects, staff training, and part-time sustainability manager support.
- Textile Research & Development Specialist textile research and development services delivering innovative, award-winning sustainable products and solutions across multiple markets. Services span co-development of new materials from waste streams with global brands.
Quantifiable outcome
- USD $100 billion+ worth of materials lost annually from clothing production (opportunity for value capture through circular solutions)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Formary
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Formary technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Formary partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Ministry for the EnvironmentcoreGovernment partner in the Textile Reuse Programme, officially launched by Hon. Eugenie Sage (Associate Minister for the Environment) in 2018. Represents public sector commitment to nationwide textile recovery systems.
- Alsco New ZealandcorePartner in Textile Reuse Programme. Alsco provides textile rental and management services and participates in the public/private collaboration to build nationwide textile recovery infrastructure.
- Deane ApparelcorePartner in Textile Reuse Programme. New Zealand apparel manufacturer contributing to the collaboration between Industry, Government and Social Enterprise.
- Barkers MenswearcorePartner in Textile Reuse Programme. Fashion retailer participating in the nationwide system for used clothing and textiles.
- Wellington ZoocorePartner in Textile Reuse Programme. Zoo has engaged The Formary for uniform procurement and disposal sustainability strategy, demonstrating sustainability leadership in the public sector.
- Wellington City CouncilcorePartner in Textile Reuse Programme. Local government partner contributing to building a nationwide system for textile recovery.
- StarbuckscoreFirst client of The Formary (established 2008). Collaborative two-year project created WoJo® from used coffee sacks. Starbucks goes through millions of jute coffee sacks annually; The Formary developed solutions to incorporate them into interior design of 16,000 stores worldwide.
- Cerebos GreggsminorImported approximately 75,000 kgs of coffee sacks per annum. Engaged The Formary to design merchandising products including the popular Barista Trilby hat.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Formary competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Circle Economy: Dutch circular economy consultancy and platform provider (Circle Metric, Circle Scan) that maps material flows for organizations. Directly comparable to The Formary's combination of consulting + Usedfully material flow transparency.
- Textile Exchange: Global non-profit driving textile sustainability standards, materials and circularity — closely aligned with The Formary's Usedfully platform and textile R&D mission. Comparable in focus on fiber traceability and circular economy outcomes.
Broad incumbents
- Quantis: International sustainability consultancy specializing in carbon footprinting and science-based targets for fashion and textile clients. Comparable consulting scope and enterprise buyer overlap as The Formary.
- EcoVadis: Global sustainability ratings provider serving enterprise procurement teams. Competes for the same enterprise textile sustainability mandate wallet share as The Formary, but at vastly greater scale and with broader ESG coverage.
- Sustainable Apparel Coalition: Industry coalition behind the Higg Index tools for apparel/footwear sustainability. The Formary's Brian Johnston has worked directly with SAC, making it both a partner and a competing standards/measurement authority.
- Anthesis Group: Large global sustainability consultancy serving apparel and consumer goods brands on circularity and supply chain strategy. Comparable buyer segment to The Formary but with substantially deeper consulting bench and geographic footprint.
Emerging players
- Renewcell: Swedish textile-to-textile recycler (Circulose® pulp) supplying recycled fiber into apparel supply chains. Comparable buyer base (apparel brands seeking circular materials) and technology-adjacent to The Formary's textile waste transformation work.
- Worn Again Technologies: UK-based textile-to-textile recycling technology company developing polymer recovery processes from old clothes. Adjacent to The Formary's circular textile R&D (WoJo, Juton, Mibu) with overlapping sustainability buyer base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Formary social profiles
Digital presenceThe Formary financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Formary leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Formary funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Formary 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 The Formary
What does The Formary do?
The Formary is a sustainability consultancy and textile research and development agency that helps textile and clothing organisations develop strategic sustainability approaches, reduce environmental impacts across their value chains, and transition to circular-economy models. It delivers bespoke sustainability consulting engagements and textile R&D services, develops branded innovative textile products (WoJo upholstery fabric, Juton canvas, Mibu interior textile) from waste streams, operates the Usedfully digital platform for material flow transparency, and runs the Textile Reuse Programme in New Zealand.
Is The Formary a public or private company?
The Formary is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Formary founded?
The Formary was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Formary based?
The Formary is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does The Formary make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Sustainability Consultancy Services are the primary driver. The others are research & Development Services and licensing Royalties (WoJo®, Juton®, Mibu®).
Who are The Formary's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Circle Economy and Textile Exchange. Broad incumbents are Quantis, EcoVadis, Sustainable Apparel Coalition and Anthesis Group. Emerging players are Renewcell and Worn Again Technologies.
Does The Formary have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Formary.
What industry is The Formary in?
The Formary's product category is Sustainability Consulting and Textile R&D. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAMAK, Repair, Refurbishment & Upcycling Services (Industrial Scale), with a secondary code of IMAOAKAG, Decorative & Soft Furnishings Manufacturing (Cushion Covers/Throws/Quilts). Its NAICS code is 314 and its SIC code is 2200.