Fibe, a start-up that produces textile fibre from leftover potato harvests, has won the Fashion District’s 2024 Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge. The award grants Fibe £15,000 to support its business expansion and innovation efforts, aiming to raise the quality of its affordable fibres to match that of conventional materials.

Ella Gould, head of sustainability and innovation at Selfridges and one of the five expert judges on the Manufacturing Futures panel, expressed her optimism, stating, “I feel so energised and hopeful after seeing such a broad spectrum of pitches solving problems across fashion’s entire value chain.”

Fibe co-founder Idan Gal-Shohet mentioned that the prize money would be used to grow the company and diversify its crop sources, ultimately improving conditions for farmers worldwide. Additionally, the competition’s runners-up, Sequinova and Fab Materials, will each receive £5,000 to further their development of biodegradable sequins and recyclable material composites, respectively.