A cotton-like material made from potato waste has won the 2024 Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge’s top prize. The £15,000 award from event organiser Fashion District will go towards helping its creator Fibe to finance its development.

The material science start-up has developed “the world’s first textile fibres out of potato harvest waste”. Its aim now is to develop “the most scale, affordable and sustainable textile fibres with comparable performance to mainstream materials”.

The runners-up, who will each receive £5,000 for their businesses, include Sequinova, the maker of biodegradable sequins out of cellulose, and Fab Materials, which converts hard-to-recycle fashion waste into boards and composites, such as furniture.  

The overall winner was chosen by a judging panel of industry experts, including Ella Gould, Head of Sustainability and Innovation at Selfridges; Chelsea Franklin, Head of Advanced Concept Design at Pangaia; Gillian Lipton, sustainability consultant, most recently at Alexander McQueen; and Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion, UAL.

Idan Gal-Shohet, co-founder of Fibe, said: “The funding will be used to expand our business, so we are able to harvest a variety of different crops and create better conditions for farmers around the world.

“Our mission in the end is to create materials that use far fewer environmental resources than what’s currently available.”

Gould added: “The judges were unanimous in Fibe winning this year’s award. The energy in the room after their pitch was palpable and we so look forward to seeing them take their fibre innovation to the next level. Who knew potatoes were so exciting?”