# Ambercycle **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/ambercycle **Vertical:** Luxury Goods **Subcategory:** General **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** ambercycle.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Los Angeles textile-to-textile molecular recycler; cycora® regenerated polyester with Inditex €70M+ supply deal and Goldwin FW2025 partnership; $44M raised with 250,000 T-shirt/day facility by 2026 competing with Evrnu for circular fashion materials. ## Company Overview Ambercycle is a Los Angeles, California-based materials science company — backed with approximately $44 million in total funding including investments from Goldwin Play Earth Fund, Shinkong Synthetic Fibers, and others — providing the global apparel and textile industry with cycora®, the world's first commercial-scale textile-to-textile regenerated polyester produced through the company's proprietary Ambercycling™ molecular regeneration technology that transforms post-consumer textile waste into virgin-grade polyester fiber. Key brand partnerships include Inditex/Zara (€70+ million three-year supply agreement), Athleta, REI, Reformation, and GANNI, with manufacturing through MAS Holdings. Ambercycle plans to open a commercial-scale facility capable of processing the equivalent of 250,000 T-shirts per day by 2026. cycora® won Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2024 recognition. Founded 2015 by UC Davis alumni Shay Sethi (CEO) and Moby Ahmed. Ambercycle's molecular regeneration technology addresses the textile waste problem that mechanical recycling cannot solve: the fashion industry generates 92 million tons of textile waste annually, but conventional mechanical recycling (shredding and re-spinning fiber) produces lower-quality, shorter staple fibers with degraded mechanical properties — suitable only for insulation, automotive stuffing, or other non-textile applications, not virgin-quality garment fabrics. Ambercycling™'s molecular approach (dissolving post-consumer polyester textiles and chemically separating the polymer chains from dyes, finishes, additives, and blended fibers, then re-polymerizing purified PET chains into virgin-equivalent polyester) produces cycora® fiber with the same mechanical properties as virgin polyester from petrochemical feedstocks — enabling brand partners to substitute cycora® into existing manufacturing processes without reformulation. The CO2 reduction (nearly half the emissions of virgin polyester production) addresses the Scope 3 supply chain emissions reduction commitments that Inditex, REI, and Reformation have made in sustainability reporting. In 2025, Ambercycle competes in the textile recycling, sustainable materials, and circular fashion market with Renewlane (Inditex's internal textile recycling), Evrnu (chemical textile recycling, $40M raised), and Worn Again Technologies (PET/polyester recycling, $10M+ raised) for global apparel brand recycled polyester supply agreements and textile-to-textile circular economy volume commitments. The Inditex €70M+ three-year agreement (securing volume for the world's largest fashion retailer) de-risks Ambercycle's commercial scale-up by providing demand visibility for the 2026 facility construction investment. The Goldwin Fall/Winter 2025 product launch (cycora® in outdoor performance apparel) demonstrates premium sports brand adoption that validates material performance for technical applications. The 2025 strategy focuses on completing the commercial-scale facility permitting and construction for 2026 commissioning, signing additional Tier 1 brand supply agreements to fill facility capacity, and advancing the cellulose (cotton) recycling capability alongside the polyester platform to address the blended cotton-polyester garment waste stream that represents the majority of global textile waste volume. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Ambercycle? Ambercycle is a materials science company that manufactures circular, decarbonized materials for the fashion industry. Through its proprietary Ambercycling™ technology, the company transforms end-of-life textile waste into virgin-grade regenerated materials, with its flagship product cycora® being the world's first commercial-scale textile-to-textile regenerated polyester. ### Who are Ambercycle's customers and target market? Ambercycle serves leading global fashion and apparel brands committed to sustainability and circularity. Major customers include Inditex (Zara), Athleta, REI, Reformation, GANNI, and H&M. The company also partners with major manufacturers like MAS Holdings, Hyosung, and Shinkong Synthetic Fibers to integrate cycora® into supply chains serving multiple brands. ### When was Ambercycle founded? Ambercycle was founded in 2015 by Shay Sethi and Moby Ahmed while they were students at the University of California, Davis. The company originated from the founders' late-night discussions about addressing the massive problem of textile waste in the fashion industry. ### Where is Ambercycle based? Ambercycle is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company is planning to open a full-scale commercial facility by 2026 that will be capable of processing the equivalent of 250,000 T-shirts per day, with plans to establish state-of-the-art textile regeneration facilities globally. ### How much funding has Ambercycle raised? Ambercycle has raised approximately $44 million in total funding. This includes a $21.6 million Series A round in 2022 led by H&M CO:LAB, KIRKBI, Temasek, BESTSELLER's Invest FWD, and Zalando, plus a strategic $10 million investment from Shinkong Synthetic Fibers in August 2024, along with earlier seed funding from investiere and Zurich Cantonal Bank. ### What makes Ambercycle different from traditional textile recycling? Unlike traditional mechanical recycling that downcycles materials, Ambercycle's molecular regeneration technology separates and purifies textiles at the molecular level to create virgin-grade materials. The process removes all dyes, finishes, and additives to produce cycora® that meets the same quality standards as virgin polyester, as validated by CETI France, while offsetting nearly half the CO2 emissions of virgin production. ### Who are Ambercycle's main competitors? Ambercycle competes in the textile recycling and circular materials space with companies like Renewcell (bankrupt 2024), Circ, Infinited Fiber Company, and Worn Again Technologies. However, Ambercycle's molecular regeneration approach and focus on polyester differentiates it from competitors using different chemical processes or focusing on other fiber types like cotton or cellulosics. ### How can brands partner with Ambercycle? Brands can partner with Ambercycle through multi-year offtake agreements to secure cycora® material for their collections, similar to agreements with Inditex, Athleta, and REI. Interested companies can contact Ambercycle through their website at www.ambercycle.com or work with manufacturing partners like MAS Holdings who have integrated cycora® into their production capabilities. ### Is Ambercycle hiring? As a rapidly growing materials science company with 42 employees and major expansion plans including a commercial facility opening in 2026, Ambercycle regularly seeks talent in materials science, chemical engineering, business development, and operations. Career opportunities can be found on their website and LinkedIn page. ### What's the latest news about Ambercycle? Recent highlights include cycora® being named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2024, a July 2025 investment from Goldwin Play Earth Fund with cycora® featured in Goldwin's Fall/Winter 2025 collection, strategic partnerships with Benma and Highsun Holding Group in 2025, and plans to open a commercial facility in 2026 capable of processing 250,000 T-shirts equivalent daily. ### What is Ambercycle's market position? Ambercycle is a market leader in textile-to-textile regenerated polyester, having secured the largest commercial agreements in the circular fashion materials sector including a €70+ million three-year deal with Inditex. The company's technology has been validated by leading testing institutions and adopted by major global brands, positioning it at the forefront of the circular fashion movement. ### What are Ambercycle's future plans? Ambercycle plans to open a full-scale commercial facility by 2026 capable of processing the equivalent of 250,000 T-shirts per day, targeting over 4,500 metric tonnes of textile waste diversion in 2025. The company aims to establish multiple state-of-the-art regeneration facilities globally and expand partnerships across Asia, Europe, and North America to scale circular materials adoption industry-wide. ## Tags b2c, retailtech, global, enterprise, healthtech --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*