Senbis Group spinoff Mariva Materials secures funding to advance sustainable materials development
Mariva Materials B.V. welcomes Future Tech Ventures and VP Capital as new investors to accelerate next-generation bio-based performance fibres
The textile industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its dependence on fossil-based materials and move towards more circular production models. Polyester remains the dominant fibre in the global textile sector, yet its reliance on fossil resources contributes to CO2 emissions and persistent microplastic pollution. While alternative materials continue to emerge, many still face challenges around scalability, performance, or integration into existing manufacturing infrastructure.
Dutch materials innovator Mariva Materials B.V. aims to address this challenge through the development of a new bio-based performance fibre designed to combine the durability and thermal stability expected from conventional synthetic fibres with the benefits of bio-based feedstocks, recyclability, and biodegradability. Today, the company announces an investment from Future Tech Ventures and VP Capital to support the next phase of technology development, validation and market development.
Developing a new generation of bio-based textile materials
Mariva Materials B.V. is developing bio-based, recyclable, and biodegradable performance fibre designed to deliver the technical performance required for textile applications while reducing dependence on fossil-based raw materials and improving end-of-life options through recyclability and biodegradability. The company is focused on creating a new polymer platform for bio-based fibres that combines performance, processability, and scalability.
A key advantage of the technology is its compatibility with existing polymer processing and melt-spinning infrastructure. Licensing its drop-in technology enables manufacturers to adopt the material using established production assets, lowering barriers to market adoption and accelerating commercial deployment through a CAPEX light scaling model.
Mariva originated as a spin-out from Senbis Polymer Innovations B.V., an independent R&D company focused on the development of advanced polymer applications, that originated from Akzo’s former polymer and spinning R&D facilities in Emmen. Mariva builds on years of expertise in polymer development and fibre innovation and is initially focusing on applications within sportswear, outdoor apparel, performance textiles, and technical textiles.
“We are excited to welcome Future Tech Ventures and VP Capital as partners in Mariva’s journey. Their investment will help us validate material performance, expand pilot applications, and accelerate collaborations with brands, manufacturers, and supply chain partners as we continue building a new platform for bio-based performance fibres,” said Kasper Nossent, Co-Founder and CCO of Mariva Materials
Supporting the transition towards circular textiles
The investment from Future Tech Ventures and VP Capital will be used to further validate the material performance, strengthen intellectual property development, expand pilot applications, and accelerate commercial partnerships within the textile industry.
“The textile industry has been stitching over the same fossil-fuel, microplastic and waste pile wounds for decades”, said Kyra Weaver, Investment Manager at Future Tech Ventures. “Mariva changes that. Not with incremental tweaks, but with a genuinely new material category. Performance and sustainability don’t have to be a trade-off. We’ve been told they do for too long. At Future Tech Ventures, we back founders who refuse to accept the status quo. The future we envision demands relentless, visionary entrepreneurs. Gerard and Kasper are exactly that.”
For VP Capital, the investment aligns closely with its focus on bio-based and circular solutions within the textile sector. The company sees strong potential in technologies that can help reduce dependence on fossil-based raw materials while supporting the transition towards more circular textile value chains.
“At VP Capital, we see a growing need for scalable material innovations that can help accelerate the transition towards a more circular textile industry,” said Mathijs van der Knaap, Investment Manager Ventures at VP Capital. “What makes Mariva particularly interesting is the combination of sustainability, performance, and scalability. Many alternative textile materials struggle to move beyond niche applications because they are difficult to scale or require entirely new production systems. Mariva is taking a pragmatic approach by developing materials that are designed to fit within existing industrial infrastructure.”
Growing momentum within the textile industry
The market for more sustainable textile materials continues to evolve rapidly, driven by changing regulation, increasing demand from textile brands, and growing awareness around the environmental impact of conventional synthetic fibres. Mariva aims to contribute to this transition through the development of bio-based fibres that combine technical performance with circularity and scalability. The company ultimately aims to establish a broader platform for next-generation bio-based yarns within the textile industry, supporting applications where both performance and sustainability are increasingly required. Rather than focusing on niche applications, Mariva’s ambition is to develop materials that can be adopted at industrial scale and integrated into existing textile manufacturing processes.
Mariva will participate in Hello Tomorrow 2026 as part of the Dutch Deep Tech Delegation and continues to build partnerships across the textile ecosystem as it prepares for the next stage of development.
About Mariva Materials B.V.
Mariva develops next-generation bio-based performance fibres designed to combine the mechanical durability and thermal stability expected from conventional polyester and nylon with the benefits of bio-based feedstocks, recyclability, and biodegradability. The company’s materials are bio-based by design, engineered for performance, recyclable, and biodegradable to combat the persistence of microfibres. Mariva’s technology is designed to scale through licencing drop-in technology solutions and to work with existing industrial infrastructure, supporting a scalable and more circular textile industry.
About Future Tech Ventures
Future Tech Ventures (FTV) is a €20 million proof-of-concept fund established through a partnership between Triade, RUG Ventures, NV NOM, and Investeringsfonds Groningen. The fund is dedicated to supporting and financing the next generation of high-tech startups in the Northern Netherlands, with the ambition to help dozens of ventures develop and scale over the coming five years. To further strengthen its impact, FTV received €10 million in funding from the European Just Transition Fund (JTF).
About VP Capital
VP Capital is a single-family office based in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Van Puijenbroek family started their activities over 150 years ago. Our current strategy is an impact-first strategy that aims to contribute to biodiversity, climate, and social equality, by focusing on regenerative, circular, bio-based, net-zero, toxicity-free, and inclusive solutions. Today we manage a diversified portfolio with an all-round team in various asset classes, including ventures. In our venture portfolio we focus on the domains of energy transition, agrifood, clean technology, textile, and the built environment. VP Capital is B Corp-certified, and our CO2 reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
Gerard Nijhoving (r) and Kasper Nossent (l) showcase
Mariva Material yarn at Hello Tomorrow 2026
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