FML spinoff dimpora wins Venture Kick stage III
Dimpora AG wins Venture Kick to further develop fluorine-free, breathable and waterproof outdoor-wear
The outdoor clothing industry has grown with the trend towards lifestyles of health and sustainability. The performance laminate sector is a $1.5 billion market dominated by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.’s Gore-Tex. Actively exploring nature comfortably requires apparel that is both water-proof and breathable. To date this has been achieved using material treated with fluorinated compounds that are potentially harmful to people and the very nature they want to experience. Friends Mario Stucki and Anna Beltzung co-founded dimpora to solve this problem. Their company pairs Stucki’s membrane engineering knowledge with Beltzung’s understanding of polymer synthesis: the result is dimpora’s membranes are waterproof and breathable, without the need for dangerous chemicals. The patented processes, developed at ETH’s Functional Materials Laboratory, may also allow the material to be biodegradable and for apparel-makers to protect their clothes without seams in the membrane.