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Vollebak

In every industry there’s someone building the future, whether it’s technology, architecture, food, cars or space rockets. In clothing it’s us. Founded by twin brothers, designers and athletes Nick and Steve Tidball, we use science and technology to create clothing that no-one else can or will – clothes from the future. Since launching, we’ve won innovation awards from TIME, WIRED and Fast Company and been compared to Tesla and elBulli for our radical commitment to what comes next. While clothes today still do what they’ve been doing for the last 50,000 years, keeping you warm, dry and cool, we’re on the edge of a revolution. Over the next 10 to 100 years clothes are going to be used to enhance our strength and sensory perception. They will help us become faster, more intelligent, and live longer. So we’re starting work on the next 50,000 years of clothing. We created the world’s first Solar Charged Jacket that stores and re-emits light, and the first gear for Mars – it’s engineered with an anti-gravity pocket for shifting gravity fields, a ballistic nylon outer shell, and a vomit pocket for puking in space. Our Garbage Sweater is built from old bulletproof vests and firefighter suits that were heading to the dump. Our Full Metal Jackets use more than 11km of copper – the future building block for intelligent, disease-resistant clothing. And our Black Algae T Shirt is grown in forests and bioreactors and turns into worm food at the end of its life.

Growth Trajectory

Vollebak's growth potential lies in further developing lab-grown materials, integrating advanced technologies into clothing, and exploring new functionalities like self-cleaning or adaptive capabilities. They can expand into new markets, cater to outdoor enthusiasts and military/law enforcement segments, and develop licensing agreements for their advanced material technologies, and strategic partnerships will be important to their success.

Technical Challenges

Ensuring durability and comfort with metal-based materials like copper.
Scaling production of apparel incorporating advanced materials.
Seamlessly integrating advanced materials into existing apparel designs without compromising comfort or functionality.
Maintaining high-quality standards in manufacturing processes.
Sourcing and integrating advanced materials consistently.

Tech Stack

Graphene integrationDyneema reinforcementAerogel insulationCopper threadingLab-grown biomaterialsSchoeller c_change membraneMolecular engineeringBrewed Protein productionRobotic knitting3D knittingBioceramic skin-cooling technologyPlant-based water repellent technologySashiko embroidery

Team Size

Key Risks

High price points may limit market acceptance among mainstream consumers.
Dependence on specialized suppliers for advanced materials could create supply chain vulnerabilities.
Competition from established apparel brands adapting similar advanced materials could erode market share.
Ensuring the durability and practicality of advanced materials in everyday clothing poses a technical challenge.

Opportunities

Further develop clothing with integrated technology like sensors and connectivity.
Explore new advanced materials and customization options for individual customer needs.
Expand into new markets and customer segments, such as outdoor enthusiasts or military/law enforcement.
Collaborate with material science companies, technology providers, and research institutions for new innovations.
Develop self-cleaning, self-repairing, and adaptive clothing using nanotechnology and AI.
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