Everbloom’s renoa has been approved by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission as the first new fiber classification in 25 years. The startup describes renoa as a washable alternative to cashmere that promises to be more affordable. It is made from waste protein sources, including cashmere and wool scraps as well as down and feather “lint” left over from the bedding industry. Everbloom processes that waste into a powder, blends it with a biodegradable biopolymer, and extrudes the combination to the length and diameter needed to mimic specific natural fibers.
Everbloom has been developing the fiber for three years and is currently scaling up. The startup developed its own AI model for material science, and a cashmere substitute is its first product. At Everbloom’s New York City headquarters, co-founder and CEO Sim Gulati showed a crewneck sweater, knit gloves and a scarf made with renoa. The sweater and gloves were soft and light. The scarf, a custom test item Gulati had worn and washed for months and put through a tumble dryer, had not pilled and had not shrunk, according to Gulati.
Everbloom is working with a range of companies to bring renoa into consumer products. The first products are likely to use renoa as a blended fiber, making up around 20% of the material in a cashmere sweater, for example. Gulati said the first product is expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2027. An 80/20 cashmere-renoa blend felt extremely close to the real thing, and Gulati said additional finishing used on commercial garments should eliminate any differences without compromising washability or stability. Cashmere remains relatively expensive, hard to care for and environmentally fraught, with the goats that produce it damaging rangelands across Central Asia. Renoa could bring a cashmere-like experience to more products and people.
Sources: TechCrunch.