Can Bacteria Solve Fashion's Pollution Problem?

Karin Fleck, CEO and founder of Vienna Textile Lab

Key Points

• The motivation behind transitioning from oil and energy to sustainable textile innovation.
• The process of transforming cultivated microorganisms into usable pigments for fabrics.
• The areas where bio-based pigments deliver the most significant environmental and social impact.
• The current state of industrial adoption and the challenges that remain.
• The primary concerns manufacturers have when evaluating new pigments.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The Women TechEU scheme is an EU-funded project supporting women leading deep tech startup companies from Europe. As part of the consortium team implementing the programme, our mission is to foster inclusive innovation by supporting women-led startups, including under-represented deep tech sectors and European regions. We believe that diversity drives innovation, and we are here to provide women in deep tech with more opportunities, resources, and support in order to build market-shaping companies at global level.

Between 2026-2028, the current project consortium will run a continuous open call with 4 cut-off dates. Following a rigorous evaluation process, 160 total beneficiaries will be selected. Each beneficiary will receive €75k grants (non-dilutive finance), as well as a tailored package of mentorship, training, expert guidance, matchmaking and networking opportunities, and support in bridging the gap to other EIC funding and support schemes.