Re-Fresh Global

Cover Block

Attribute	Value
Company Name	Re-Fresh Global
Tagline	Biotech upcycles textile waste into sanitized fibers, nanocellulose, bioethanol
Headquarters	Berlin, Germany
Founded	2019
Stage	Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology	Biotech / Life Sciences
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding Label	Seed (total disclosed ~$1,200,000)

Links

• Website: https://re-fresh.global
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-fresh-global
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohgJ0ZPwYs

Summary and Signal

Re-Fresh Global is an early-stage biotech startup applying proprietary enzymatic processing to transform mixed-fiber textile waste into premium, sanitized raw materials for industrial manufacturing. Founded in 2019 by Viktoria Kanar and Revital Nadiv Zivan, the company leverages a German-Israeli base to tap into European sustainability mandates [Crunchbase, Jul 2023]. Its core SMART-UP™ technology claims to recover 98% of input waste, producing outputs like Re-Nano™ nanocellulose and bioethanol for sectors ranging from automotive to cosmetics [World Economic Forum, ~2023-2024]. The venture has secured backing from institutional investors including Earlybird Venture Capital and accelerator programs like IndieBio and the Circulars Accelerator [Crunchbase, Jul 2023]. Operating on a B2B model, Re-Fresh targets manufacturers seeking sustainable inputs, with a disclosed seed round of $1.2 million. Over the next 12-18 months, key indicators include the transition from pilot demonstrations to named commercial offtake agreements and the validation of its claimed 97% CO2 reduction and zero-waste outputs at industrial volumes.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core company claims are self-reported; funding round and investor list are confirmed by Crunchbase.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Seed
Business Model	B2B
Industry / Vertical	Cleantech / Climatetech
Technology Type	Biotech / Life Sciences
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (2)
Funding	Seed (total disclosed ~$1,200,000)

Company Overview

Re-Fresh Global was founded in 2019 as a German-Israeli cleantech venture, with its operational headquarters established in Berlin [Crunchbase, Jul 2023]. The company's origin centers on the upcycling of mixed-fiber textile waste into high-value industrial inputs. Co-founders Viktoria Kanar and Revital Nadiv Zivan launched the firm to commercialize a proprietary enzymatic biotechnology process, aiming to create a circular alternative to landfill and incineration [Re-Fresh Global] [LinkedIn].

The company's early development was supported by non-dilutive grants, including the Berlin Startup Stipendium (BSS) [Berlin.de, Aug 2024]. A significant validation point came in 2023 with the close of a $1.2 million Seed round led by Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from IndieBio and COMEUP STARS [Crunchbase, Jul 2023]. This funding coincided with participation in accelerator programs such as IndieBio and the Circulars Accelerator [World Economic Forum].

A key technical milestone is the claim of producing the "world's first woven fabric from 100% textile waste" using its SMART-UP™ technology [Re-Fresh Global]. This development represents a progression from producing raw materials like fibers and nanocellulose to demonstrating a finished textile product.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core facts (founding year, HQ, founders, Seed round) are confirmed by Crunchbase and the company website. Key milestones, such as the woven fabric claim, are sourced solely from company materials.

The Product and the Stack

The company's core proposition is a multi-output bioprocess that converts mixed textile waste into three distinct material streams. According to its public materials, the proprietary SMART-UP™ enzymatic technology breaks down waste to produce sanitized fibers for yarn, Re-Nano™ nanocellulose for coatings and composites, and bioethanol for fragrances and fuels, alongside a purified pulp called Re-Sanpulp™ [Re-Fresh Global]. The process is described as achieving 98% waste recovery and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 97% compared to conventional disposal [Re-Fresh Global].

The most specific public milestone is the claim of producing the "world's first woven fabric from 100% textile waste" using this technology [Re-Fresh Global, ~2024]. The operational model appears to be factory-based, integrating automated sorting with the biotech processing.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core product claims sourced from company website and promotional video; technical performance metrics and milestone lack independent verification.

The Market They Are Entering

The market for textile waste upcycling is moving from a niche environmental concern to a core industrial supply chain problem, driven by tightening regulations and a growing corporate mandate for circular inputs.

The global fashion industry generates an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually [World Economic Forum]. The company targets 14 end-use industries, including automotive, construction, and cosmetics. For context, the global market for nanocellulose was valued at approximately $297 million in 2022 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 19.7% [PitchBook, 2025].

Demand is propelled by a confluence of regulatory and commercial pressures. The EU's Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and impending Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are creating a compliance-driven need for waste solutions [Berlin.de, Aug 2024].

Metric	Value
Annual Textile Waste	92 million tonnes (global)
Nanocellulose Market (2022)	$297 million (global)
Target Industries	14 sectors

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The 92 million tonne waste figure is widely cited. The nanocellulose market size is from a third-party report cited by PitchBook. Re-Fresh's specific target market segmentation is from its own materials.

The Competitive Field

Re-Fresh Global operates in a nascent but increasingly crowded segment of the circular economy, where biotech processes are being applied to textile waste.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Re-Fresh Global	Biotech upcycling of mixed-fiber textile waste into sanitized fibers, nanocellulose, and bioethanol.	Seed (~$1.2M)	Proprietary SMART-UP™ enzymatic process targeting 98% waste recovery.
Circ	Chemical recycling (hydrothermal process) to separate polyester and cotton from blended fabrics.	Series B ($30M+)	Focus on lyocell fiber production from cotton and polyester-cotton blends.
Renewcell	Chemical recycling of cotton and viscose textiles into Circulose® pulp.	Public (Nasdaq: RENEW)	Industrial-scale production of a branded dissolving pulp.
Worn Again	Chemical recycling technology for polyester and cotton separation and purification.	R&D stage	Focus on closed-loop recycling for polyester.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles are based on public databases and news reports; direct financial and operational comparisons are limited by sparse disclosures from private companies.

Opportunity

If Re-Fresh Global's biotech process scales as claimed, it could capture a significant portion of the value currently lost in the multi-billion dollar textile waste stream. The headline opportunity is to become the primary supplier of high-purity, sanitized fibers and nanocellulose derived from textile waste to industrial manufacturers.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core opportunity claims are sourced from the company. Plausibility is supported by accelerator membership and industry focus from third-party coverage.

Sources

1. [Re-Fresh Global] Re-Fresh Global | https://re-fresh.global/
2. [World Economic Forum, ~2023-2024] This start-up transforms old clothes into fragrances, shoes and furniture | https://www.weforum.org/videos/this-start-up-transforms-old-clothes-into-fragrances-shoes-and-furniture/
3. [Crunchbase, Jul 2023] Re-Fresh Global - Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/re-fresh-global
4. [LinkedIn] Re-Fresh Global | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-fresh-global
5. [Berlin.de, Aug 2024] Interview mit Viktoria Kanar | https://www.berlin.de/service-energieeffizienz-kreislaufwirtschaft/infothek/interviews/interview-mit-viktoria-kanar-1477165.php
6. [PitchBook, 2025] Re-Fresh Global 2025 Company Profile: Valuation, Funding & Investors | PitchBook | https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/498284-29
7. [YouTube (Re-Fresh Global), ~2024] Re-Fresh Global: Transforming Textile Waste into Sustainable Raw Materials | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cohgJ0ZPwYs