Werewool

Werewool is a startup that produces sustainable yarn from protein-based fibers. It is a women-led biotech company that uses biomimicry to create protein-based textile fibers that have exceptional performance characteristics, offering a breakthrough approach to sustainable and functional textiles. The technology has been co-patented by Columbia University and the Fashion Institute of Technology. By inserting the DNA sequence responsible for a protein into bacteria, the company can produce the same protein as the original source, extract it, and convert it into fibers. This process eliminates the need for toxic dyes, reduces the environmental impact of raw materials, and enables a circular lifecycle, avoiding microplastic pollution in ecosystems.

While still in the development stage, Werewool aimed to create the world's first protein-based, biodegradable pink yoga pants. As of June 2024, the company was yet to launch its first product and reach commercialization.

Funding and financials

In early 2023, the company won the Microfiber Innovation Challenge, being one of five winners selected from 19 countries, receiving a portion of a USD 525,000 prize pool and the potential for an additional USD 25,000 in funding. With the awarded funds, Werewool planned to bring its fiber to the market within two years.

In May 2023, the company also secured USD 3.7 million in a seed funding round led by Material Impact and Sofinnova Partners to develop its first bio-fiber product.