H&M Foundation awards 5 innovations a total €1 million grant for their efforts to make the fashion industry planet positive

STOCKHOLM; April 6, 2022 – A laundry solution that prolongs garments’ life, AI helping smallholder cotton farmers to increase yield and income, an invention realising the circular recycling of elastane and polyester blends, carbon-negative viscose made from CO2 emissions and regenerative agriculture making planet positive alternative to goose down – these are the five Global Change Award winners 2022, sharing a €1 million grant from the non-profit H&M Foundation. 

The H&M Foundation launched the Global Change Award in 2015 to transform fashion and make it planet positive, in order for the industry to fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. That means finding and supporting disruptive innovations that address one or several of the earth’s global commons – land, water, oceans, climate and biodiversity. As the aim is to find innovations that allow major change for the entire industry the winners are free to collaborate with any actor they want.

“The winners of the Global Change Award hold the key to the complex challenges we are facing and prove that it’s possible to reinvent fashion. Their game-changing innovations are really inspiring and can help transform the fashion industry into a planet positive one” says Karl-Johan Persson, board member of H&M Foundation and Chairman of H&M Group.

The response from applicants was overwhelming and made it clear that there is no shortage of disruptive innovations out there. The momentum to transform the fashion industry into a planet positive one, to protect our planet and improve people’s living conditions has never been stronger. This year’s winners are:

• BioPuff® by saltyco (UK) – A planet positive alternative to goose down, crafted from plants that heal damaged land. 
• BIORESTORE (Sweden) – A laundry solution that restores old and worn garments to mint condition.
• CottonAce by Wadhwani AI (India) – An AI solution that reduces pesticide use, increases yield and raises incomes for smallholder cotton farmers.
• Re:lastane (China) – The first mild process making elastane and polyester blend fabrics recyclable.
• Rubi (US) – Planet positive viscose and lyocell made from carbon emissions.

In addition to the financial grant, all five winners also get access to the one-year GCA Impact Accelerator programme provided by H&M Foundation in partnership with Accenture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and The Mills, offering the winners invaluable coaching and support, along with a strong network and memories for life. The GCA Impact Accelerator aims to help the winning ideas scale at speed through business, technology, investor and innovation readiness, and industry access. It also offers winners a mix of inspiring digital sessions and meetups at key locations.

NOTE TO EDITORS 

• The Global Change Award is an open source initiative. Neither H&M Foundation nor H&M Group will take any shareholder equity or intellectual property rights in the innovations. The winners can collaborate with whomever they want as the aim is to find innovations that allow major change for the entire industry.   
• Winners are selected by an international expert panel with extensive knowledge covering the global commons, fashion, business, investments, entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information and quotes, please visit: hmfoundation.com/gca/expert-panel  
• For more information on previous winners and their progress: hmfoundation.com/gca/winners 
• To access images and video free to be used, downloaded and shared: https://tinyurl.com/3tenbf7d
• From April 6 you can learn more about this year’s GCA winners and their innovations, hear professor Johan Rockström explain planet positive, find actor and environmental activist Malin Åkerman’s tips on how to make a positive impact on our planet as a fashion consumer – and so much more on globalchangeaward.com.

For more information or scheduling interviews please contact:  

Jasmina Sofić,
Media Relations Responsible, H&M Foundation 
Mobile +46 73 465 59 59 
E-mail: jasmina.sofic@hmfoundation.com

The Global Change Award was initiated in 2015 by non-profit H&M Foundation to transform fashion and make it planet positive. By catalysing early-stage innovations that can accelerate this shift, the aim is safeguard humanity and our planet. Planet positive fashion means that every garment made needs to have a positive impact on earth’s shared resources – it’s global commons: land, water, oceans, biodiversity and climate. Each year, five winners share a 1 million euro grant and get access to the yearlong GCA Impact Accelerator provided by the H&M Foundation in collaboration with Accenture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and The Mills Fabrica. Neither H&M Foundation nor H&M Group take any equity or intellectual property rights in the innovations, as the aim is to find innovations that allow major change for the entire industry. The H&M Foundation is privately funded by the Stefan Persson family, founders and main owners of H&M Group. Its overall aim is to accelerate the progress needed to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Learn more at globalchangeaward.com and hmfoundation.com.