Dropel Fabrics is an American technology company that develops, manufactures, and licenses sustainable treatments for

natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...

fabrics to make spill proof and

stain A stain is a discoloration that can be clearly distinguished from the surface, material, or medium it is found upon. They are caused by the chemical or physical interaction of two dissimilar materials. Accidental staining may make materials app ...

proof threads. The company is known for creating the world's first water and stain repellent naturals fabrics that maintain their softness and breathability.

History

Dropel was founded in 2015 by Sim Gulati following his research in material sciences and innovative textile processes. In 2014, after observing a broader need in apparel for innovation in natural fabrics, Gulati developed cotton fabrics using sustainable nanotechnology treatments for cotton in an effort to supplant less durable and less environmentally friendly clothing applications for polyester and other synthetics. In 2015 the company consulted with Amanda Parkes, Ph.D., termed a “fashion scientist” from

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

by Industry magazine. Dropel incubated in New York based fashion accelerator, New York Fashion Tech Lab, and launched at the incubator's June 2015 demonstration day. The New York Times reported that Dropel “patented a nanotechnology process that bonds

hydrophobic In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the chemical property of a molecule (called a hydrophobe) that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water. In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thu ...

polymers with natural fibers on the molecular level to make them water- and stain-repellent, a process that can be licensed by clothing brands.” The company has integrated its technology with brands AREA NYC, CEAM and Mister French. Dropel was part of the inaugural class of Fashion For Good, a

sustainable fashion Sustainable fashion is a term describing efforts within the fashion industry to reduce its environmental impacts, protect workers producing garments and uphold animal welfare. Sustainability in fashion encompasses a wide range of factors, incl ...

accelerator led by Kering, Plug and Play Ventures, Galleries Lafayette and the C&A Foundation. Fashion Tech Lab, a venture-capital accelerator led by Russian retail entrepreneur

Miroslava Duma Miroslava Vasilyevna Duma (; born 10 March 1985) is a Russian digital entrepreneur and investor in international fashion. She is also the founder of Buro 24/7, a digital company, and the CEO and founder of Future Tech Lab, a venture capital fun ...

, Gaetan Bonhomme, Alex Moore, Cybernaut Venture Capital, and Full Tilt Capital invested in Dropel's seed round of funding. In 2015,

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

named Dropel Fabrics one of the “100 most exciting startups in New York City.”

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.dropelfabrics.com Textile companies of the United States Biodegradable materials