This French Startup Just Cracked the Code to Recycling Nylon at Scale

Jan de Vries · 2026-07-16

Syntetica, a Paris-based DeepTech company, just announced a $30 million Series A funding round. The money will help build their first commercial demonstration facility in partnership with Michelin. This is big news for anyone who's ever wondered why so much clothing ends up in landfills. ### The Recycling Problem Nobody Talked About Here's the thing about nylon recycling: it's been a nightmare. For decades, mixed nylon waste was considered too complex and too expensive to recycle at scale. Think about that for a second. We're talking about a material that's everywhere—from yoga pants to car parts—and we've basically been throwing it away. Marco Bertone, co-founder and CEO of Syntetica, put it bluntly: "For decades, mixed nylon waste has been considered too complex and too expensive to recycle at scale. We have shown that it is possible to recover high-value materials from the waste streams the industry has historically written off." ### Who's Betting on This Technology? The round was led by the Ecotechnologies 2 fund, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French government. But that's not all. Big names like lululemon, MAS Holdings, and existing investor EQT Ventures also participated. Even the family offices of Peugeot, Etam, and Indorama Venture's largest shareholder got involved. Plus, public institutions like Bpifrance and the European Innovation Council are backing this. ### How Does Syntetica's Technology Work? Founded in 2023 by Bertone and Louis Monsigny, Syntetica developed a proprietary solution that can recycle both Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 from mixed textile waste. In a single process. That's the breakthrough. Here's what their technology does: - Chemically deconstructs mixed and contaminated nylon streams - Purifies those components to remove additives and contaminants - Repolymerizes them into virgin-quality, production-ready materials It sounds simple, but the industry has struggled with this for years. The biggest barrier was identifying and separating different nylon types before recycling. Syntetica's approach skips that step entirely. ### The Scale of the Problem According to Textile Exchange's Materials Market Report, global nylon production hit about 7 million tonnes in 2024. Yet recycled nylon accounts for only about 2% of the total market. And more than 80% of textiles discarded by households are incinerated, landfilled, or abandoned in the environment. That's a massive waste of resources. And it's not just about the environment—it's about economics. Virgin nylon is made from fossil fuels, which means its price is tied to oil markets. Recycled nylon could offer more stable pricing and lower carbon footprints. ### What's Next for Syntetica? The company plans to use this funding to build their first commercial demonstration facility in France. The demo plant will be developed through their partnership with Michelin's Centre for Sustainable Materials in Clermont-Ferrand. They're already working with brands like Victoria's Secret and Etam, alongside a growing number of global apparel companies. And while nylon is their initial focus, Syntetica plans to expand into additional materials and applications over time—including textiles, automotive, and specialty chemicals. ### Why This Matters for the Apparel Industry Alexandre Wagner, Investment Director at Bpifrance Green Venture, summed it up: "Syntetica has developed a differentiated technology that addresses one of the textile industry's most complex recycling challenges." For brands like lululemon and Victoria's Secret, this technology could be a game-changer. It means they can offer truly circular products without sacrificing quality. And for consumers, it means that your favorite leggings might one day be made from recycled materials that perform just as well as virgin nylon. The company is backed by French and European public funds, including Bpifrance and the European Innovation Council. In 2024, they raised $4.6 million in a Seed round led by EQT Ventures. Now, with this $30 million Series A, they're ready to scale. This is one of those rare cases where a startup is solving a real, tangible problem. And the investors seem to agree. If Syntetica can deliver on its promise, we might finally see a future where textile waste isn't waste at all.