Ravel Raises $8.2 Million to Scale Blended Textile Recycling Technology
Ravel has raised $8.2 million in an oversubscribed seed funding round to advance its textile-to-textile recycling technology from pilot operations toward commercial-scale production. The financing was led by One Small Planet, with participation from AP Ventures, Overlay Capital and Lichen Ventures, alongside existing investors At One Ventures, Collateral Good and Betterway Ventures.
The Seattle-based company will use the funding to accelerate the commercial readiness of its Purification Recycling technology, which is designed to recover usable raw materials from blended textile waste that is difficult to process through conventional recycling systems.
Blended fabrics are widely used across the apparel industry because combining different fibers can improve durability, performance and affordability. However, separating these materials at the end of a garment’s life remains a major recycling challenge. Ravel is developing a process capable of handling mixed textile feedstocks, including combinations such as polyester and elastane, which are commonly found in performance apparel.
The company’s technology separates and purifies blended textile waste into mono-material fiber while aiming to minimize energy consumption and preserve the quality of the recovered material. According to Ravel CEO Zahlen Titcomb, blended fibers offer significant benefits in clothing, but current recycling infrastructure is generally not designed to process them effectively.
Feedstock flexibility is a central part of Ravel’s commercialization strategy. The company cites Textile Exchange data indicating that approximately 85% of textiles fall within the four largest material categories, with different materials frequently combined within finished products. Conventional recycling systems can require relatively pure waste streams, creating additional sorting, transportation and preprocessing requirements.
By accepting a broader range of blended inputs, Ravel aims to reduce the operational complexity involved in sourcing suitable textile waste. This could also have implications for recycling plant economics, where feedstock availability, quality and transportation costs influence production costs and facility utilization.
At One Ventures partner Helen Lin highlighted feedstock as a critical factor in recycling economics, pointing to the proportion of available waste that can be processed, purity requirements and transportation distances as important considerations for commercial scalability.
Ravel is also developing its recovered materials for integration into existing textile manufacturing systems. The company describes its output as “drop-in ready,” meaning manufacturers can potentially incorporate recycled materials into established production and supply chains without creating entirely separate infrastructure.
Another focus is achieving price parity with conventional textile materials. Ravel is developing its recycling process with the goal of producing recycled materials without relying on subsidies or requiring customers to pay a premium for recycled content. One Small Planet’s Jack Wielebinski said the prospect of producing recycled materials at costs competitive with virgin alternatives was an important consideration behind the investment.
Ravel currently operates a pilot plant in Seattle and plans to use the new funding to move toward commercial-scale operations. The company will focus on validating its technology across different parts of the textile supply chain and demonstrating that its purification process can maintain material performance and economic viability at higher production volumes.
The company is also pursuing partnerships with brands, manufacturers and other industry stakeholders to evaluate different blended textile waste streams and test the use of recovered materials within existing manufacturing processes. Such partnerships could become increasingly relevant as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations place greater responsibility for textile waste management on brands and manufacturers.
With the new capital, Ravel is aiming to demonstrate that broad feedstock acceptance, high-purity material recovery and competitive production costs can work together in a commercially viable recycling model. The company’s next stage will focus on scaling its technology beyond the Seattle pilot plant and moving blended textile recycling closer to commercial deployment.