MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands — September 16, 2021 — The Dutch clean-tech start-up Healix has secured funds totaling more than 10 million euros in its seed financing round completed beginning of September. The funding follows Healix’ announcement earlier this year to build a factory in Maastricht, the Netherlands to shred, wash and reprocess used twines, ropes, nets, and other plastic fiber waste from farming and fishing into pristine circular polymers for the global manufacturing supply chain. The production facility is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2022. It has an annual capacity of 6,000 metric tons of polypropylene (PP) and high density polyethylene (HDPE), saving almost 10,000 metrics tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
One of the most pressing issues the technical textile industry is facing, is the damaging effect of plastic fiber waste on terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Healix aims to combat this plastic pollution, by transforming existing linear economies in the technical textile industry into sustainable circular economies.
The seed funding round was led by private equity firm Active Capital Co. and facilitated by ABN AMRO Asset Based Finance and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). The investment involves commitments from industrial and high performance fiber supplier FibrXL and Tama, the market leader in crop baling solutions.
Marcel Alberts, founder of Healix and chief executive, said: “I am really happy to welcome our new investors and I am grateful for the support from ABN AMRO and the Dutch government. These investments enable us to proceed at full speed with the commissioning of our production facility and the recruitment of the skilled professionals needed to take our flagship project forward.”
Jeroen Drenth, CEO of FibrXL, stated: “For us, this is much more than an investment. This is a pathway to change the environmental impact of the technical textile industry, as it provides a technology solution that makes fiber-to-fiber recycling possible. And most importantly: this is only the beginning!”
Claudio Moretti, director, Sales & Sustainability at ABN AMRO Asset Based Finance, added: “We actively look to support businesses with a sustainable focus. Healix sets a great example with their circular ambitions and we are pleased to act as their financial wingman.”
Posted September 16, 2021
Source: Healix BV
