Fashion giant BESTSELLER has announced a strategic investment in German cleantech company matterr, reinforcing its commitment to accelerating innovative recycling technologies for the fashion industry. The move follows a major grant of €30 million from the European Union’s EFRE/JTF programme in North Rhine-Westphalia – the largest awarded under this framework to date – ensuring that matterr is ready to move forward with its first industrial facility.
Turning Waste Into Virgin-Quality Materials
At the core of matterr’s innovation is a chemical recycling process that transforms hard-to-recycle polyester textiles and packaging waste into raw materials that are chemically identical to virgin polyester. This breakthrough enables polyester to be reused repeatedly, reducing dependency on fossil resources and supporting circularity in the fashion sector.
Backed by the EU grant and BESTSELLER’s investment, matterr will begin construction of a small-scale industrial plant in 2026, with the capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of polyester-rich waste annually into virgin-quality raw materials.
A Shared Vision for Industry Transformation
“matterr is a young company with an interesting solution that aims to be implemented on a large scale to benefit the entire fashion industry,” said Dorte Rye Olsen, Head of Sustainability at BESTSELLER. “We believe in the scalability of their technology as well as the commercial potential of the company. This can ensure the right impact in the long run.”
Melanie Hackler, CEO of matterr, emphasized the alignment between the two partners:
“To achieve our ambitious goals, it is essential to have the right partners by our side. With BESTSELLER, we share not only mindset and values, but also the belief that true change comes from pragmatic collaboration. Together, we are building a partnership that points towards the business models of the future.”
Scaling Innovation Through Invest FWD
The investment is made via BESTSELLER’s innovation and investment platform, Invest FWD, which has so far invested DKK 240 million in pioneering companies developing future materials and recycling technologies. A key criterion is that investments not only serve BESTSELLER’s needs but also help drive systemic change across the fashion industry.
“BESTSELLER has clear ambitions to reduce dependency on fossil sources, and utilisation of recycled polyester is a crucial component in achieving this,” Olsen added. “Given the vast number of garments used globally today, it is essential that we take on our responsibility and utilise discarded materials repeatedly.”
Industry-Wide Implications
With EU backing and private investment, matterr is now positioned to scale its solution and potentially transform polyester recycling across Europe and beyond. The partnership underlines how collaboration between fashion brands, innovators, and public institutions is vital to unlocking new circular business models and addressing one of the fashion industry’s most pressing sustainability challenges.
