The 8 Impact

What The 8 Impact does

The 8 Impact is a French materials technology company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Saint-Rémy, France, that has developed a patented mechanical process for converting end-of-life sport shoes and tennis balls into high-performance regenerated rubber compounds for footwear manufacturing. The company's core technology — branded the T8I platform — performs 100% mechanical separation and decontamination of post-consumer elastomers without chemical or water-based inputs, achieving up to 99% material decontamination and producing rubber granules that are then formulated into T8IX outsole compounds engineered for sneaker, running, trail, tennis, and lifestyle shoe soles. The process holds a pending patent and yields REACH-compliant compounds with certified SDS, TDS, and toxicology documentation meeting ISO 17025 standards, with a verified 50% CO2 emissions reduction relative to virgin elastomer production.

The company operates a B2B materials sales model, selling T8IX regenerated rubber compounds to footwear brands and OEM manufacturers using a direct enterprise field sales motion. Customer engagement is consultative: brands request material samples through the company's website, after which samples are validated for Shore hardness, abrasion resistance, and color consistency across production batches. The company positions its compounds as drop-in compatible with standard outsole molding and injection processes, addressing footwear brand pain points around sustainable sourcing, supply chain decarbonization, and circular material mandates. Veja is the only publicly identifiable customer, with its V82 shoe line featured in the company's LinkedIn activity.

The 8 Impact is privately held and venture-backed, with disclosed financial and strategic backers including Bpifrance, Collateral Ventures (Fondo), RARA Avenir Industrie, Fashion for Good, and Makesense. The leadership team comprises co-founder and CEO Marie Soudré-Richard, co-founder and Managing Director Hélène Guerret (formerly of Galeries Lafayette and Kering Group), Industrial Director Stan Muraczewski (former Decathlon Asia operations), and R&D Manager Dr. Marie Bayart (PhD in Polymer Materials Science, University of Sherbrooke). The company is aligned with UN SDGs 9, 12, 13, and 17 and operates with a team of 1–10 employees.

Name

The 8 Impact

Legal name

The 8 Impact

Website

https://the8impact.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The 8 Impact is a French materials technology company that converts end-of-life sport shoes and tennis balls into high-performance regenerated rubber compounds (T8IX) for footwear outsole manufacturing, sold B2B to footwear brands and OEMs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Footwear Materials

NAICS

Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing (325212), Other Rubber Product Manufacturing (32629)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Fabricated Rubber Products, Nec (3060)

akta.pro primary industry

Footwear Components & Materials (Uppers, Soles, Laces, Insoles) (CRAAACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Footwear Repair, Refurbishment & Remanufacturing (IMAOAIAL)

Keywords

• Recycled elastomer materials
• Regenerated rubber compounds
• Footwear outsole materials
• Post-consumer rubber recycling
• Sustainable footwear materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-rémy

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. T8I Outsole Compound Sales: Sale of regenerated elastomer compounds (T8IX outsole compounds) to footwear brands and OEM manufacturers. Revenue derived from material sales to compounders and direct to OEMs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The 8 Impact transforms end-of-life sport shoes and tennis balls into T8IX outsole compounds through a patented mechanical separation and regeneration process. The regenerated elastomer compounds are engineered for footwear soles, validated by leading footwear brands, and compatible with standard outsole molding and injection processes. The company supplies both T8I regenerated rubber feedstock and formulated T8IX outsole compounds to footwear brands, OEM manufacturers, and compounders.

Product overview

The 8 Impact is the first post-consumer elastomer platform engineered for footwear manufacturing. The company transforms end-of-life sport shoes and tennis balls into T8IX outsole compounds through a patented mechanical separation and regeneration process. Their T8I Regenerated Rubber serves as the input material that is then formulated into T8IX compounds, which are validated by leading footwear brands and compatible with standard outsole molding and injection processes. The platform includes quality-controlled materials with certified SDS, TDS, and Toxico reports meeting ISO 17025 standards and REACH compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• T8IX: T8IX is the company's formulated compound platform for footwear outsole applications, transforming post-consumer rubber from end-of-life sport shoes and tennis balls into regenerated elastomers.

Products and services

• T8IX Outsole Compounds High-performance elastomer compounds engineered from post-consumer sport shoes and tennis balls for footwear manufacturing, validated by leading footwear brands and compatible with standard outsole molding and injection processes. Sold to footwear brands, OEM manufacturers, and compounders.
• T8I Regenerated Rubber Mechanically separated and regenerated rubber feedstock from end-of-life sneakers and tennis balls, processed without chemicals or water, achieving up to 99% material decontamination and 100% decontamination rate from tennis balls. Used as the input material for T8IX formulated compounds and supplied to compounders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% CO2 reduction vs virgin elastomer production
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fashion for GoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative supporting sustainable fashion innovation. Company participates in Fashion for Good programs and Innovation Fest events, indicating strategic alignment in sustainable footwear materials.
• MakesenseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting impact ventures, listed among the company's backing organizations.
• The Footwear CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry coalition focused on footwear circularity. Company CEO Marie Soudré-Richard participates in TFC Summit 2025 events, indicating active involvement in footwear circularity initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Parley for the Oceans: Turns intercepted ocean plastic into yarn and materials used by major footwear brands (notably Adidas); comparable as a circular materials supplier targeting sneaker/lifestyle brands with a recycled-content value proposition.
• Carbios: French biotech using enzymatic recycling to break down PET plastics into monomers for circular materials; comparable as a French circular-materials platform serving fashion/footwear brands with a similar sustainability narrative.
• Aquafil: Italian chemical company producing ECONYL regenerated nylon from post-consumer and post-industrial waste, widely adopted by footwear brands (e.g., Veja); direct parallel as a circular polymer platform serving the footwear value chain.

Emerging players

• Worn Again Technologies: UK-based polymer recycling company targeting polyester and cotton-rich textile waste for re-use in apparel and footwear; comparable as an emerging circular-polymer platform serving fashion/footwear supply chains.
• Bolt Threads: US-based biotech producing bio-based leather (Mylo) and silk alternatives for fashion and footwear brands; comparable emerging sustainable-materials platform targeting brand-level specifications.
• Spinnova: Finnish sustainable fiber company producing textile fibers from FSC-certified wood and agricultural waste with a mechanical (no chemical dissolving) process; comparable emerging sustainable-materials platform with similar mechanical-only narrative and brand-customer focus.
• LanzaTech: Carbon recycling company converting industrial emissions into ethanol for fuels and chemicals, including monomers for plastics and synthetic rubber; comparable as a circular-carbon-to-materials platform with brand partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Adidas (Futurecraft Loop): Adidas's 100% recyclable shoe platform with take-back and re-granulation of its own outsoles; represents both a major potential customer for T8I and a vertically integrated competitor pursuing the same circular-sneaker thesis.
• BASF: Global chemical incumbent with circular polymer programs (including biomass-balanced and chemically recycled elastomers); comparable as a scaled competitor that could rapidly enter the recycled-elastomer-for-footwear niche.
• Nike Grind: Nike's closed-loop program recycling end-of-life sneakers into materials for new products, including sports surfaces; vertically integrated incumbent in the same circular-footwear space that T8I is targeting with an external supply model.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the8impact

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 The 8 Impact