The race to replace PFAS, the so-called 'forever chemicals,' in consumer goods is creating a new class of industrial chemist. In Lyon, a city with a deep history in textiles and chemistry, a startup called H&B Materials is betting its formulation can be the first to meet the industry's twin demands: performance that matches the legacy standard, and a process that doesn't require manufacturers to rip out their existing finishing lines.
Founded in 2025 by chemists Hichem Ichou and Baptiste Andrin, the company has secured a €2.1 million pre-seed round to scale its bio-based, water-repellent treatment [SignalBase, October 2026]. The funding, led by Anima with participation from Alpha Star, Keenest, Bpifrance, and Caisse d’Épargne, arrives as European regulators move toward a sweeping ban on most PFAS uses, a regulatory clock that is ticking loudly for outdoor apparel, workwear, and luxury brands [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026].
The Drop-In Wedge
For H&B Materials, the technical challenge is only half the battle. The commercial wedge is compatibility. The company's treatment is water-based and designed to be a 'drop-in' replacement in standard industrial processes like padding and coating, where fabric is run through a chemical bath [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026]. The claim, which remains to be validated at commercial scale, is that manufacturers could switch their chemical supply without costly retooling, achieving a waterproof finish in as little as 30 seconds on the same equipment [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026].
This focus on the production line, not just the lab bench, reflects a pragmatic understanding of the textile industry's capital constraints. The startup's early showcase at major industry events like Première Vision Paris and CES Unveiled Las Vegas in 2026 was likely less about consumer marketing and more about demonstrating feasibility to potential manufacturing partners [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026].
The Founders' Formula
The team is built on a shared academic foundation. Co-founders Ichou (CEO) and Andrin (CTO) both hold PhDs in chemistry and shared a thesis director and laboratory for three years, according to a regional report [challenges.fr, Unknown]. This deep technical partnership is a common, though not guaranteed, advantage in deep-tech ventures where the core IP is a novel material.
Ichou's prior internship at Fairbrics, a startup converting CO₂ into polyester, provided early exposure to the translation of green chemistry from academia to industry [Lydia Messaoudi - Technic Inc. | LinkedIn, retrieved 2026]. The pair are incubated within a supportive Lyon ecosystem, including the Axel'One and Pulsalys platforms, which provide lab space and business development support [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026].
| Role | Name | Background |
|---|---|---|
| CEO & Co-Founder | Hichem Ichou | PhD in green chemistry; former intern at Fairbrics [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026]. |
| CTO & Co-Founder | Baptiste Andrin | PhD chemist focused on green chemistry and materials science [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026]. |
The Regulatory Tailwind
The company's timing is not accidental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has proposed a restriction on around 10,000 PFAS substances, with a decision expected in the coming years. This creates a powerful, if involuntary, catalyst for innovation. Brands facing reputational risk and future regulatory compliance are actively seeking alternatives, particularly for high-performance segments like outdoor gear and technical workwear where water and stain resistance are non-negotiable.
H&B Materials is targeting this precise intersection of regulation and performance. Its stated applications span technical textiles, outdoor products, sportswear, workwear, and luxury goods,all sectors where the pending ban creates both urgency and a potential willingness to pay a premium for a certified, drop-in solution [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026].
The Scale-Up Hurdles
The path from a promising pre-seed round to a commercial supplier is lined with chemical engineering challenges that go beyond the initial patent, filed in July 2025 [Pulsalys, retrieved 2026]. The risks for H&B Materials are not about market need, but about execution at the volumes and consistency required by global supply chains.
- Performance parity. The gold standard for water repellency, set by fluorochemicals, is exceptionally high. Any drop in performance, durability, or breathability in real-world conditions could be a deal-breaker for brands. Independent, peer-reviewed data on the treatment's longevity and performance under stress will be a critical milestone.
- Scale and cost. Producing a novel bio-based chemical at industrial scale, with consistent purity and at a competitive cost, is a formidable chemical engineering challenge. The €2.1 million will be spent proving this is possible.
- The validation queue. The company reports it is validating formulations with textiles supplied by potential customers before planning a factory-scale rollout [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026]. Moving from these validation trials to signed, multi-year supply agreements is the essential commercial leap.
The company's most plausible answer to these risks is its early and deliberate focus on industrial compatibility. By designing for the existing factory floor, it removes one major barrier to adoption. The real test will be whether the material itself can pass the others.
The Next Twelve Months
The fresh capital is earmarked for scaling production capabilities and advancing customer pilots. The key near-term milestone is transitioning from lab-scale validation to pilot-scale production runs that can supply larger quantities for brand testing. Success in this phase would set the stage for a larger seed or Series A round focused on building initial commercial production capacity.
For the outdoor apparel industry and its customers, the standard of care today is a paradox: high-performance gear that relies on environmentally persistent chemicals. The search for alternatives has become a major R&D focus for every major brand, but a truly drop-in, high-performance solution has remained elusive. H&B Materials is now in the queue, with a patent, funding, and a clear shot at proving its chemistry can work where others have stumbled. The next year will determine if its treatment can move from the trade show floor to the finishing bath.
Sources
- [SignalBase, October 2026] H&B Materials Secures $2. | https://www.trysignalbase.com/news/funding/hb-materials-secures-2
- [PERPLEXITY SONAR PRO BRIEF, retrieved 2026] Company profile and product claims
- [challenges.fr, Unknown] Founder background report
- [Lydia Messaoudi - Technic Inc. | LinkedIn, retrieved 2026] Reference to Hichem Ichou's internship at Fairbrics
- [Pulsalys, retrieved 2026] Startup profile including patent filing date