Ecoatex transforms agricultural and marine byproducts—such as nutshells, crop residues, and seaweed—into advanced cellulose materials using a patent-pending green-chemistry process.
The platform produces sustainable fibers, nonwovens, leathers, coatings, and composites for textiles, sportswear, packaging, medical, and high-performance applications.
By converting waste biomass into fully biodegradable, renewable materials that eliminate toxic chemicals and reduce water, energy, and carbon footprints, Ecoatex enables scalable, circular manufacturing for global industries.
Ecoatex is a biomaterials technology company that transforms agricultural and marine byproducts—nutshells, crop residues, and seaweed—into advanced cellulose materials, including cellulose, nanocellulose, and lignin.
These bio-based materials enable production of sustainable fibers, nonwovens, leathers, coatings, and composites for textiles, packaging, sportswear, and medical applications.
Market Challenge & Opportunity
Today’s materials industries rely heavily on petroleum-based fibers, plastics, and synthetic leathers, generating over 1.3 billion tons of CO₂ annually, releasing microplastics, and using toxic chemicals like chromium and formaldehyde.
Billions of pounds of agricultural residues are discarded or burned each year, contributing to pollution and deforestation. Existing sustainable alternatives often lack scalability or full biodegradability.
Ecoatex Advantage
Ecoatex’s patent-pending process isolates and regenerates cellulose and lignin under mild, solvent-minimized conditions, delivering up to 80% less water and 50% less energy than conventional methods.
The platform produces both finished materials and high-value intermediates with established markets in textiles, coatings, and composites.
Backed by grants from USDA, EPA, NSF, GRA, and Beam Circular, Ecoatex operates a pilot-scale R&D lab and has demonstrated fibers and leather-like composites with mechanical properties that match or exceed petroleum-based materials.
Ecoatex’s mission: replace non-renewable inputs with circular, regenerative materials that reduce emissions and create value for farmers and manufacturers.
Leadership Team
- Dr. Raha Saremi – Founder and CEO
Materials scientist with over a decade of experience in sustainable polymers, nanocellulose, and textile innovation. Inventor of three pending and one granted patent; principal investigator on multiple SBIR awards from USDA, EPA, and NSF. - Dr. Anne McInnis – Chief Product Officer
Extensive experience developing products for global fashion and home brands. - Dr. Reza Zarei – Chief Operating Officer
Oversees analytics and process scale-up. - Haley Jo Brashears – R&D Manager
Leads lab operations and material testing. - Dr. Sanjay Wahal – Vice President of R&D and Product Development
Expertise in polymer formulation and process optimization.
Strategic Advisors
Ecoatex is supported by advisors Stacy Chick, Sean Cook, Dr. Gajanan Bhat, Dr. Jaap Schut, and Dr. Chris Cornelison, providing guidance in product development, market entry, and commercialization of renewable materials.
Ecoatex’s go-to-market strategy follows a staged approach to commercialize its advanced cellulose materials platform.
Near-Term Focus
- Supply bio-based intermediates (regenerated cellulose, nanocellulose, lignin) to manufacturers in textiles, nonwovens, coatings, and composites.
- Materials integrate easily into existing infrastructure for rapid adoption.
Longer-Term Expansion
- Develop branded sustainable materials and direct partnerships with consumer-facing companies.
- Target markets: sustainable fibers and nonwovens for textiles, sportswear, and medical applications—driven by global plastic reduction and sustainability mandates.
Partnerships & Revenue Model
Building strategic relationships across the value chain:
- Feedstock partnerships with Georgia pecan/peanut growers and California walnut/almond processors (via Beam Circular).
- Commercial partnerships with textile mills, nonwoven producers, and sustainable brands for co-development and validation.
Revenue through material sales, joint development agreements, and licensing. Supported by accelerator programs (Village Capital, Sage, Truist, Halcyon), Ecoatex is preparing for pre-seed investment to expand pilot operations and secure supply/customer partnerships.
Ecoatex generates revenue through sales of advanced cellulose materials and customized products to manufacturers in textiles, nonwovens, coatings, and composites.
Core Offerings
- Regenerated cellulose, nanocellulose, and lignin from agricultural/marine byproducts.
- Drop-in replacements for petroleum-based materials with superior environmental profile and comparable or better performance.
Revenue Streams
- Near-term: Pilot-scale material sales for prototyping and validation.
- Mid-term: Long-term supply contracts and co-development agreements with manufacturers and brands.
- Diversified portfolio: Fibers, leather-like composites, and intermediates (cellulose pulp, nanocellulose, lignin) for multiple market entry points.
Low-cost waste feedstock strategy provides economic advantage. Scaling production will increase customer volume, improve margins, and establish Ecoatex as a reliable supplier of high-performance, sustainable biomaterials.
Investment Opportunity
Ecoatex is seeking $3 million in pre-seed investment to scale its advanced cellulose materials platform from pilot to demonstration scale and accelerate commercial traction.
The funding will enable expansion to a modular demonstration facility for continuous manufacturing of cellulose, nanocellulose, and lignin intermediates.
Use of Proceeds
| Allocation | Percentage | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Facility Build-Out & Equipment | 50% | Scale production capacity for continuous manufacturing. |
| Operational Growth | 20% | Expand team and operations. |
| R&D and IP Protection | 20% | Process optimization and intellectual property. |
| Market Development & Customer Acquisition | 10% | Strengthen partnerships and secure offtake agreements. |
This raise builds on over $500,000 in non-dilutive funding and pending SBIR Phase II awards. The investment will deliver commercial-ready materials, third-party certification, early revenue, and a de-risked path to scalable, circular manufacturing.
Ecoatex has advanced its biomaterials platform to pilot-scale production in a dedicated R&D facility with custom fiber spinning, casting, and coating systems.
Key Achievements
- Validated core process through federally funded projects (USDA NIFA, EPA SBIR Phase I, NSF I-Corps).
- Produced fibers with tensile strengths of 300–450 MPa and composites with 10–30 N/mm peel strength—comparable or superior to synthetic materials.
- Life-cycle analysis shows up to 80% less water, 50% lower energy, and 30% fewer carbon emissions.
- Pilot-scale samples provided to manufacturers for evaluation.
Current & Next Steps
Optimizing for consistency and scalability; expanding feedstock base (walnut/almond shells via Beam Circular). Preparing demonstration facility to support supply agreements and commercial validation in textiles, packaging, and medical markets.
Ecoatex has received over $500,000 in non-dilutive funding from federal, state, and private programs.
Key Awards
| Source | Amount | Purpose/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USDA NIFA SBIR Phase I | $181,000 | Core process development |
| EPA SBIR Phase I | $100,000 | Environmental validation |
| Beam Circular State Grant | $75,000 | Feedstock expansion in California |
| NSF I-Corps (National & Regional) | $64,000 | Commercialization training |
| Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) | $50,000 | Research support |
| Other accelerators & competitions (Cade Prize, Village Capital/Sage, Startup Runway, Halcyon, Truist) |
$48,800 total | Business development & awards |
All funding to date is non-dilutive; preparing for first equity pre-seed round.
