Date posted on DIARY directory: Monday 8th June 2026
The winners of the H&M Foundation's Global Change Award 2026 have been announced.
The awards, launched in 2015, look for changemakers who can help decarbonise fashion. The aim is to propel the textile industry towards net-zero emissions by accelerating innovation that benefits both people and the planet.
This year's winners bring fresh perspectives to next-generation materials and bio-based alternatives, alongside advances in textile-to-textile recycling and low-impact production. Many of the solutions are grounded in the innovators' own experiences, shaped by real-world challenges and designed to deliver tangible benefits for the communities they serve.
Who are the winners of the H&M Foundation's Global Change Award 2026?
- Agro-Lyocell by Canvaloop (India) – Turns agricultural waste into wood-free textile fibres, replacing wood-based inputs
- ALU (USA) – Uses psychology and AI to make digital product passports drive circular behaviour
- ArtSilk (Sweden) – Creates spider silk-inspired fibres using microorganisms
- EntroMetrix (UK) – Develops its own AI models to optimise energy and material use in manufacturing
- Fiberly (France) – Turns textile waste into precision-engineered, cotton-like fibres
- KelTex (Tanzania) – Turns seaweed into biodegradable leather alternatives
- MicroBlue by Microbeworks (India) – Biodegradable dyes that work in existing dyeing systems
- RheaCycle™ by Rhea's Factory (USA) – Uses AI-designed enzymes to break down polyester waste into new fibre building blocks
- Tera Mira (UK) – Turns seaweed into stretch fibres, replacing elastane with a bio-based alternative
- threadBridge (Bangladesh) – Brings real-time defect detection to factory floors using smart glasses
For more information, visit hmfoundation.com.