Ventile

What Ventile does

Ventile is a heritage weatherproof fabric technology company that supplies dense-woven natural fibre fabrics on a business-to-business basis to premium outdoor and apparel brands. Founded in 1943 by the Shirley Institute for the British Royal Air Force, the company's technology achieves water and wind resistance through the physical structure of an exceptionally dense cotton weave rather than synthetic membranes or chemical coatings, and its full product range is produced without PFAS.

The company operates two fabric lines: Ventile® Classic, woven from extra-long staple cotton yarns and finished in Europe, and a modern Ventile® line that incorporates recycled cotton, hemp, and wool alongside traditional cotton to extend performance and sustainability credentials. Both lines target weatherproof outerwear, flight apparel, mountaineering, and polar expedition garments where membrane-free natural fibre construction is valued.

Ventile generates revenue by supplying fabric to a small set of partner brands — including Barbour, Nigel Cabourn, CP Company, Margaret Howell, Lemaire, Mammut, Sasta, and Tilak — under bespoke commercial terms with quotes provided per partner rather than public pricing. The company is privately held with a very small operating footprint (around five employees), maintains a limited digital presence via LinkedIn, Instagram, and a dedicated partner brand asset site, and shows no disclosed funding, acquisition activity, or institutional investment.

Name

Ventile

Legal name

Ventile

Website

https://ventile.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ventile is a heritage weatherproof fabric technology company that supplies dense-woven, PFAS-free natural fibre fabrics (cotton, recycled cotton, hemp, wool) on a B2B basis to premium outdoor and fashion apparel brands since 1943.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Textiles

NAICS

Broadwoven Fabric Mills (31321), Broadwoven Fabric Mills (313210)

SIC

Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Cotton (2211), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Woven Fabrics (CRAAAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Fabric Mills (Performance/Protective/Medical Substrates) (IMAOABAH), Nonwoven & Technical Fabrics (CRAAAMAD)

Keywords

• Weatherproof cotton fabric
• Natural fibre textiles
• PFAS-free outerwear fabric
• Dense weave weatherproofing
• Technical apparel materials

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ventile manufactures and supplies dense-woven natural fibre fabrics — including extra-long staple cotton, recycled cotton, hemp, and wool — that deliver weatherproof, water-resistant, and wind-resistant performance without synthetic membranes or chemical coatings. The company sells its textiles on a B2B basis to premium outdoor, heritage, and contemporary apparel brands for use in outerwear, flight suits, mountaineering apparel, and polar expedition gear.

Product overview

Ventile is a weatherproof fabric technology company offering two distinct product lines: Ventile® Classic, the original legacy fabric made from extra-long staple cotton yarns with exceptional weatherproof protection, and Ventile®, a modern approach incorporating recycled cotton, hemp, and wool innovations. Both products deliver weatherproof performance through natural fibres without the need for synthetic membranes or coatings, serving the outerwear and performance apparel industry through brand partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ventile® Classic: Fabrics crafted from extra-long staple cotton yarns woven to an exceptionally dense structure, offering outstanding comfort in dry conditions and remarkable weatherproof protection when wet. Precisely woven and finished in Europe using finest 100% cotton yarns.
• Ventile® (Modern)

Products and services

• Ventile® Classic Premium weatherproof fabric crafted from extra-long staple cotton yarns woven to an exceptionally dense structure, offering outstanding comfort in dry conditions and remarkable weatherproof protection when wet. Precisely woven and finished in Europe using finest 100% cotton yarns. Sold B2B to apparel brands for use in outerwear, flight suits, mountaineering apparel, and polar expedition gear.
• Ventile® (Modern)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BarbourcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPremium British outerwear brand that uses Ventile fabric in their heritage-inspired jackets and outdoor apparel collections. Barbour's brand positioning aligns with Ventile's legacy of durability and weather protection.
• Nigel CabourncoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBritish designer Nigel Cabourn incorporates Ventile fabric in his collections, particularly drawing on the heritage and expedition history of the material for his vintage-inspired outdoor garments.
• CP CompanyminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerItalian fashion brand CP Company uses Ventile fabric in their utility-focused outerwear pieces, combining technical performance with contemporary fashion design.
• Margaret HowellminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBritish designer label Margaret Howell utilises Ventile fabric in select outerwear offerings, aligning with the brand's focus on understated, functional design and quality materials.
• LemaireminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFrench fashion house Lemaire incorporates Ventile fabric in minimalist outerwear designs, leveraging the natural fibre qualities and understated aesthetic.
• MammutcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSwiss outdoor equipment brand Mammut uses Ventile fabric in select technical outerwear, aligning their mountaineering heritage with Ventile's expedition credibility and natural fibre weatherproofing.
• SastaminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFinnish outdoor clothing brand Sasta utilises Ventile fabric for durable, functional outerwear designed for Nordic conditions, aligning with Ventile's cold-weather performance heritage.
• TilakminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCzech outdoor apparel brand Tilak incorporates Ventile fabric in technical outerwear for mountaineering and outdoor activities, serving the Central European market.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Schoeller Textil: Swiss technical fabric manufacturer producing performance textiles for outdoor and sportswear brands. Comparable to Ventile in serving premium technical outerwear customers with differentiated fabric technologies.
• British Millerain: UK heritage manufacturer of waxed and proofed cotton fabrics used in heritage outerwear. Closely comparable to Ventile as a small, British-origin, B2B supplier of weatherproof natural-fibre fabrics to premium apparel brands.
• Halley Stevensons: Scottish heritage maker of waxed cotton and weatherproof textiles serving outdoor and apparel brands. Direct peer given shared heritage positioning, natural-fibre weatherproofing, and B2B fabric supply model.
• Marling & Evans: British heritage weaver producing premium wool, cotton, and technical fabrics for outerwear and tailoring. Comparable as a small-scale, heritage-positioned, B2B fabric maker serving premium apparel brands.
• Brisbane Moss: British heritage manufacturer of woven cotton fabrics including moleskin, canvas, and weatherproof cloths. Direct peer given shared UK heritage cotton-weaving base and B2B supply to apparel manufacturers.

Broad incumbents

• Polartec (Milliken & Company): Large-scale manufacturer of performance knit and fleece fabrics for outdoor and activewear. Broad incumbent offering overlapping weatherproof and performance fabric categories to apparel brands.
• W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore-Tex): Global leader in membrane-based weatherproof fabrics for outdoor and performance apparel. Broad incumbent whose PTFE membrane technology is the dominant alternative to Ventile's dense-weave approach in the same end markets.
• Loro Piana: Italian luxury textile house producing premium natural-fibre fabrics (wool, cashmere, cotton) for high-end fashion. Comparable in premium positioning and natural-fibre specialisation, though with a much broader luxury portfolio.
• Pertex (Japan Textile Holdings): Established manufacturer of lightweight, wind- and water-resistant fabrics widely used in technical outerwear. Broad incumbent serving overlapping partner brands with a synthetic-leaning but technically adjacent fabric offering.

Emerging players

• Stotz & Co. European technical fabric producer focused on proofed and performance cotton blends for outerwear. Emerging specialist peer with a comparable natural-fibre weatherproofing proposition to Ventile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventile
• Instagraminstagram.com/ventilefabrics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ventile