Alava founded Infinited Fiber Company and, over 10 years, led the company through development to the threshold of its industrial scale-up phase, transforming textile-to-textile recycling technology into a globally recognised material innovation platform.
During his tenure, the company secured more than €100m in strategic funding from H&M Group, Inditex, Adidas and Zalando, and established over €200m ($231m) in long-term commercial offtake agreements with brands including Patagonia and PVH Corp.
Haelixa said the appointment follows its recent €2m capital raise and growing international deployment across textiles, luxury goods and other high-value materials.
The Swiss company added that Alava brings operational scale experience to complement its scientific expertise.
The appointment comes as the apparel and textile industry faces tightening regulation, margin pressure and geopolitical instability, increasing scrutiny over product origin, authenticity and sustainability claims.
Haelixa embeds invisible DNA markers directly into materials to provide product-level traceability across supply chains. The company recently launched a DNA-based authenticity service designed to enable rapid verification across resale, repair and distribution channels as demand grows for stronger protection against counterfeiting.
Alava said: “Global supply chains are built on documents and declarations. These systems are increasingly unreliable. Haelixa embeds proof into the product itself, creating a scalable trust layer that works across industries.”
Patrick Strumpf, CEO of Haelixa, said the appointment supports the company’s next phase of growth.
“We’ve built deep scientific and regulatory expertise. Petri brings experience in turning breakthrough innovation into industrial adoption. That combination matters as traceability becomes foundational rather than optional.”
