The Sydney startup helping Zara and Salomon slash fashion’s carbon footprint
Xefco has spent the past six years developing solutions to scale and reduce textile emissions for a greener supply chain in the fashion industry.
If you look at your waterproof jacket in the rain, you’ll likely see beads of water running off its surface. That effect typically comes from a finish applied using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
Sydney-based Xefco is currently scaling two products, one of which, Ausora, uses an advanced plasma coating system to colour and apply finishes to textiles. It's aimed at offering an alternative to harmful processes that use PFAs while also helping fashion brands cut water and energy consumption.
The company is also working with leading apparel brands, including Zara, The North Face and Salomon, on its XReflect product, which enhances the thermal efficiency of insulated clothing. XReflect aims to reduce the carbon footprint of insulation materials by up to 50%.
Xefco’s co-founder and CEO Tom Hussey spoke to Capital Brief about how the idea was spawned from his time in the industry, how last year’s $10.5 million funding round is being spent, and why the world’s largest fashion houses are increasingly going green.
