Each selected project will receive a €200,000 grant from the H&M Foundation and will participate in a year-long development programme, with support from Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
The 2026 winning teams include a diverse range of approaches to address issues across the textile value chain. The winners include fibre alternatives to reduce reliance on fossil-based and wood-based materials, conversion of agricultural and textile waste, improvement of recycling processes, development of biodegradable dyes, and methods to optimise manufacturing efficiency.
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Among the winners are two projects from India. Agro-Lyocell by Canvaloop is working to convert agricultural residue into textile fibres without relying on wood, while MicroBlue by Microbeworks has developed biodegradable dyes suitable for existing dyeing systems.
From the US, Alu combines behavioural science and artificial intelligence to promote circular product use through digital product passports, and RheaCycle by Rhea’s Factory is using AI-designed enzymes to break down polyester waste into new building blocks for fibres.
In the UK, EntroMetrix is developing AI models to optimise energy and material use in manufacturing, and Tera Mira is creating stretch fibres from seaweed to serve as a bio-based alternative to elastane.
Sweden’s ArtSilk is producing spider silk-inspired fibres from microorganisms, and France’s Fiberly specialises in turning textile waste into precision-engineered, cotton-like fibres.
KelTex, based in Tanzania, is leveraging seaweed to develop biodegradable leather alternatives.
Finally, threadBridge from Bangladesh is introducing smart glasses for real-time defect detection on factory floors.
Each recipient will join the Global Change Award Changemaker Programme, designed to enable early-stage ideas to be tested and refined.
“What stands out this year is not just the strength of the ideas, but the people behind them. These changemakers combine deep understanding of real-world challenges with the drive to address them,” said H&M Foundation project manager Beatrice Oldenburg.
“A common thread across many of the solutions is resource efficiency, from reducing waste to making better use of existing materials and resources. Ultimately, transforming the textile industry will depend on both breakthrough technologies and the people determined to bring them to life.”
The Global Change Award forms part of the H&M Foundation’s larger strategy to help the textile sector halve greenhouse gas emissions every decade and support a transition that benefits both people and the environment.
Since its inception in 2015, the award has provided €12m in grants to 66 teams from 24 countries.
Earlier this year, the H&M Foundation released a new “practical” open-source workshop toolkit to guide the textile industry’s response to climate change by using its System Map framework to identify and act on emission reduction opportunities.
