Dimpora wins 250‘000 Euro in Global Change Award

The Global Change Award is an initiative of the H&M foundation designed to support projects that are dedicated to improving the environmental impact of the fashion industry.  The call for application attracted over 6,640 entries from 182 countries from which the expert jury selected five winners to receive a €1 million grant.

The Swiss startup Dimpora won second place with a prize of €250,000. Dimpora’s membrane technology impressed the jury. While outdoor wear is designed to embrace nature, the materials used to develop the apparel to make them robust against harsh weather conditions are often more harmful to the environment. This is due to the release of non-degradable carcinogenic toxins and micro-plastics resulting from wear and tear.

Dimpora developed non-toxic, mineral-based and fluorine-free 3D membranes that can be added to garments in the form of a micro-thin membrane that shields against water and wind, yet they remain breathable. With their technology, the company has the flexibility to exchange base materials with recyclable or biodegradable materials.

In addition to the financial grant, Dimpora and all winners will benefit from a one-year innovation accelerator program provided by H&M Foundation in partnership with Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, taking them to Stockholm, New York, and Hong Kong. The program also gives access to virtual coaching sessions during the year to accelerate the development timeline of their solutions.

More than 50% reached on Indiegogo
Dimpora also kicked off a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise additional funds for advance their research, scale up the technology and accelerate market entry. The campaign has already received more than half of the funding.

(RAN)