Entrepreneurship & Startups
From Plant to Puffer
Regenerating Damaged Wetland
Make wetlands wet again, that’s more than the merch slogan of Ponda. The British startup transforms paludiculture crops into an environmentally friendly alternative to the goose down and synthetic fibers that line jackets. Their patented insulation is called BioPuff. It’s designed to keep people warm while helping regenerate damaged wetland.
Ponda wants to empower fashion brands to weave regeneration into the clothes they produce. So far, they have collaborated with environmentally conscious designers like Stella McCartney and the UK outdoor brand Berghaus, which produced a “Concept Piece” with Ponda. The goal is to demonstrate how regenerative materials can be integrated into performance outerwear without compromising function. “We’re approaching goose down level thermal performance,” says Ponda’s CEO Julian Ellis-Brown.
Julian Ellis-Brown, Co-founder and CEO at Ponda. Photo: Marc Beckmann
Neloufar (Nelly) Taheri, Co-founder and COO at Ponda. Photo: Marc Beckmann
Finlay Duncan, Co-Founder and CTO at Ponda. Photo: Marc Beckmann
Reducing Carbon Emissions
Ponda’s vision is that their biomaterials will lead to a net reduction in carbon emissions, create sanctuaries for biodiverse ecosystems, build climate resilience, and protect farmers’ livelihoods. The idea is to create garments that regenerate rather than harm the planet. Their business model is a technology which enables them to extract fibers from plants growing on regenerated wetlands and turn these fibers into BioPuff – which they sell to brands.
Julian Ellis-Brown, Ponda | Elevator Pitch
Building A Market
Ponda’s typha fibers are completely natural and free from chemical processing —only mechanical methods are used, preserving their natural form and colors. Additionally, BioPuff is cruelty-free since no feathers are needed and it is traceable “from plant-to-puffer,” as Ellis-Brown puts it.Last year, 10 tons of crops were harvested, producing three tons of end product. But this is just the start, because the Bristol-based startup has a manufacturing capacity of up to 400 tons annually, requiring 1,500 hectares of rewetted typha latifolia growth. 400 tons represents about 1.25 million jackets worth of material. And that’s a lot. It means they also have to build a market. “This is the first step,” says Ellis-Brown. ”Creating more demand for an alternative material.” Fortunately, the fashion industry has a huge amount of demand for new materials, as it’s a very polluting industry that needs to decarbonize and have a lower impact on nature and everything else.
Creating More Wetlands
Wetland drainage now releases around 2 gigatons of CO₂ every year, exceeding the annual emissions of the entire fashion industry. At the same time, the textile industry continues to put pressure on the planet through resource-intensive materials and production methods.Around 70% of an apparel brand’s environmental footprint comes from raw material sourcing. Ponda is working to address both challenges at once: by developing next-generation insulation materials that not only reduce the industry’s reliance on conventional fibers, but also support the regeneration of wetlands. “As a company, we are a textile manufacturer,” says Ellis-Brown. “But obviously, we are interested in unlocking more land and creating more wetlands.” The startup is interested in understanding how farmers can make the switch to work with paludiculture and still make good profits. “And that means we need to pay them enough that they’re not losing out but hopefully earning more than what they’re earning at the moment from their land.”
Questions? Contact us.
BMW Foundation Team