INVESTMENT BOOST BENEFITS BESTSELLER

Today, BESTSELLER and Invest FWD presents three new exciting investments – all with great potential to change the fashion industry.

Since launching its innovation platform Fashion FWD Lab at the end of 2020, BESTSELLER’s innovation team has worked determinedly together with Invest FWD – BESTSELLER’s investment arm for sustainable fashion – to identify the right investment opportunities.

Just one month ago, a pioneering investment deal with Finnish innovator Infinited Fiber Company was announced, which is now followed by announcement of three additional investments in spectacular innovators Circular Systems, Nature Coatings and Evrnu.

“These innovations all have something in common: the potential to generate change in the fashion industry,” says Jeppe Bredahl, Invest FWD.

“We believe that the changes needed within the fashion industry require strategic support for innovations to thrive and reach commercial scale. With Invest FWD we can combine access to capital with a brand perspective which contributes to accelerating positive outcomes for innovators and the broader industry on the most critical sustainability issues covering the full life cycle of fashion.”

Reaching our North Star

Circular Systems, Nature Coatings and Evrnu are all innovators that have shown great promise, addressing different aspects from sustainable feedstock to sustainable processes. New solutions that can help BESTSELLER to reach its ultimate ambition and North Star of becoming climate positive, fair for all and circular by design.

Although investments in new innovations involve certain risks, BESTSELLER’s Fashion FWD Lab has been working with these innovators for some time to ensure that they are the right investments with the necessary potential.

“It’s extremely important that major brands are willing to invest in companies like these – otherwise their promising innovations will not reach commercial scale. With our commitment we signal trust and intent towards the innovators and towards the industry. Consequently, we must also accept the accompanying risk,” says Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, BESTSELLER’s Sustainable Materials & Innovation Manager, elaborating that investing in innovators has several objectives:

“Brands and innovators are inherently interdependent. Besides helping the innovators reach scale, they also help us access the still limited quantities of more sustainable materials. We only succeed in reaching our North Star, if they succeed.”

“With these investments we demonstrate that we are willing to move backwards in our value chain, investing at fibre level. This is the direction the entire industry needs to follow. And I can say as much that BESTSELLER is not done with exploring investments in this space.”