“We can’t just continue with business as usual”
On Thursday, October 31, six promising startups, an experienced panel of experts, and an enthusiastic audience gathered at the town hall in Aarhus when Lifestyle & Design Cluster invited to Lifestyle Growth 2024. Here, innovative solutions and unique business models were pitched that are tomorrow’s growth engines within Danish lifestyle and design.
“It was a great experience to participate in Lifestyle Growth. We made some valuable contacts in the Danish textile industry, which has initiated some important dialogs,” says Ditte Højland, CEO of Textile Change, to TechSavvy.
Founded by three engineering students from Aarhus University in 2019, Textile Change has developed groundbreaking solutions for recycling textile waste. The company was among the startups that pitched at Lifestyle Growth, where they won the Special Mention award for their work on textile recycling technology.
Networking is paramount
Textile Change was born when the three students realized that there was a lack of scalable technologies for textile recycling. Through a combination of research and hands-on lab work, they quickly developed a promising solution. They have since built a pilot plant that has helped demonstrate that their concept works in practice. Textile Change is now in a situation where it is necessary to scale the technology and bring it to partners who can use it on an industrial scale.
“We are now at a stage where we are ready to take the next step in scaling. The next step for us is to sell our technology to partners who will work with us to scale it. We are therefore in the process of initiating dialog with various potential industrial partners who can be the first to establish a full production facility,” says Ditte Højland.
She emphasizes that it is therefore important to reach the right decision makers in the industry and explain why it is necessary to invest in technology to ensure a more sustainable future for the textile industry. Events like Lifestyle Growth are therefore crucial for the company as they provide an opportunity to network and make connections with industry partners and investors. Building a network and raising awareness of the company’s work is key to securing the necessary support from the industry.
Technology and design must work together
Textile Change wants to help bridge the gap between technology developers and those who make purchasing and design decisions in the industry. With stricter EU regulations and a ban on burning textile waste, the textile industry will face new challenges. Textile Change is ready to play an important role in this transformation.
“We have the technology to change the game for textile recycling and we want the industry to support us,” says Ditte Højland, who encourages the textile industry to invest in technological solutions that promote recycling.
In today’s textile industry, understanding technology and sustainability has become a necessity.
“It’s rare that I talk to a designer or a buyer who doesn’t also have to care about chemistry and sustainability. It’s a completely different world now. The textile industry cannot continue with business as usual. Those who don’t embrace technology and sustainability will struggle to survive in the future,” says Ditte Højland.
Lifestyle Growth 2024
Entrepreneurs in the fashion and lifestyle industry know how challenging it can be to find the right mentors, create a strong network and secure capital to realize their dreams and ambitions – especially if the company focuses on circular solutions and products. Lifestyle & Design Cluster in collaboration with Sydbank has created Lifestyle Growth, bringing ambitious start-ups closer to success.
- 1st Place – Children’s Flea Market
- 2nd place – Sneaker Store
- Special Mention – Textile Change
The judging panel consisted of: Christian Stadil (CEO, Thornico), Margrethe Dal Lehrman (CEO, LoveMondays), Daniel Brix Hesselager (co-founder, Rains), Henrik Hansen (various board positions), Jens Poulsen (CEO, DK Company), Betina Simonsen (CEO, Lifestyle & Design Cluster), Mathilde Mackowski (co-founder, Sinful), Jesper Holst Schmidt (CEO, That’s Mine) and Mette Hejl (CEO, Pravda A/S).
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