COPENHAGEN – Danish fashion company, Bestseller, whose brands include Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, has entered into a joint venture aimed at increasing the amount of biologically-based textiles to replace current oil-based materials.
Bestseller’s holding company, Heartland, has used its investment company Brightfolk for the joint venture with the biotech company, ‘pond’. The partnership aims to increase pond’s research and development of biologically based textiles to replace current oil-based materials.
Said Heartland’s CEO Lise Kaae: “Heartland’s is proud of the new partnership with pond. pond is a team of dedicated business people with a green vision for the future, and we believe that they have the potential to make a big difference within the sustainable materials sphere. We hope that this collaboration can help realise pond’s vision of sustainable material solutions. Solutions that we hope can be transferred in the future to our other business areas in Heartland – in particular, of course, Bestseller.”
The partnership with Heartland is claimed to be a “landmark moment” for pond which could potentially lead to change within the textile industry, according to pond’s CEO and co-founder Thomas Brorsen Pedersen.
“The combination of pond’s technology and Heartland’s market insight and access gives us the collective opportunity to make a large and positive impact on the environment,” he said.
“For example, our solutions can help minimise the current dissemination of non-biodegradable microplastics into our water supply. At the same time, we are working on a more effective use of resources by improving the material’s ability to be recycled.
“We plan to begin the initial developmental work in the Aarhus area soon. The partnership with Heartland makes it possible for us to expand quickly and develop our business, and we see this as a first step towards a bio-based material society.”
pond is a Danish biotech company that produces so-called resin systems that are completely bio-based and biodegradable. pond has a vision to work together with significant stakeholders from different industries to replace current materials with bio-based and biodegradable options for the planet’s benefit.