With the advent of the Internet of Things, consumers expect more and more products to be “smart” and include connectivity and sensor capabilities. This trend applies to clothing, beginning with popular accessories like smart watches, and extending to heated garments such as ski boots and gloves. In the past, connected accessories required rigid components like wires and microprocessors to function, which interferes with the form and feel people expect from their clothing. Now, Soliyarn has created a breakthrough method to make the fabric itself a part of the electronics – with no wires needed.
Soliyarn, Inc. has reached a deal with Huvis Global, a South Korean fibre manufacturing giant, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, M2I2 Manufacturing Grant program, to close a round of funding for $7.7M which will lay the groundwork for a research & development and production facility to manufacture these textiles at scale. Huvis develops staple and filament yarn for mass textile manufacturing, as well as fibers for specialized applications such as fire-resistant aramid and Olefin Fiber for Sanitary Materials. Environmental consciousness is a core value of Huvis Global, making this partnership a force for ecological stewardship and water conservation. In addition to the funding support, ADS Inc. is coming in with strategic support for supplying Soliyarn products to the US military markets. ADS Inc., a veteran provider of military equipment and supply chain solutions for federal agencies and protective services, is excited to be Soliyarn’s distributor in those markets.
Soliyarn has invented a proprietary process for coating textiles in a variety of functional materials, in order to create waterproof or conductive fabric for smart garment applications. Soliyarn’s coated textiles can be worked, washed, and ironed with no loss of functionality. The company was born out of an invention by chief science officer Trisha Andrew, PhD, a University of Massachusetts-Amherst professor of materials science and a thought leader in vapor chemistry. The company is led by Adrian Beach, MBA, MS., PMP, as Chief Executive Officer and Sayantani Nandy, MBA, as Chief Operating Officer.
Soliyarn is working on a durable water repellent fabric solution that retains the feel and breathability of the stock textile, without the use of PFAS – as described by John Oliver, a class of “forever chemicals” that are ubiquitous in household goods for the same reason they pose such a threat to human health and the environment: they can take thousands of years to break down. Additionally, the production of PFAS creates large amounts of wastewater. Soliyarn’s process completely removes the use of water in textile coating, which is a critical step toward preserving stores of potable water.
The most immediate application of Soliyarn’s conductive fabrics is in the military space, developing heating garments. Soldiers, sailors and air crews all have unique needs from their clothing – they operate in variable and unpredictable environments that necessitate protection from the elements while demanding dexterity and range of motion. Soliyarn has fulfilled United States SOCOM contracts to provide 20 prototype heated gloves followed by 20 pairs of heated boots & heated insoles, granting military operators the maximal use of their hands & feet while keeping them warmer and drier than current bulkier commercial alternatives permit.
“This is a very exciting time for Soliyarn,” says CEO Adrian Beach. “It is amazing to find such a great complementary partner in Huvis who comes on-board with a deep understanding of our technology and the ability to assist us in accelerating the scaling-up of our manufacturing capabilities rapidly. With ADS Inc. as our official distributor, we will be in a fantastic position to translate into both the military and commercial markets in Fall 2022 when our production facility goes live. I am so thankful to have such a great team and the full support of our many partners as we forge forward and continue to innovate new coatings and applications, including all the great people of the Baker-Polito administration at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Christine Nolan and Farhad Vazehgoo of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative administering M2I2 grants, Manny Jerome and Richard Sullivan of Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership, National Science Foundation (NSF), Hyunsuhp Shin, Huvis Global, and ADS Inc.”
Soliyarn’s vapor technology seamlessly coats a durable, thin film onto textiles. We transform off-the-shelf fabric into electrically conductive and waterproof textiles. Soliyarn is an innovative smart textiles company based in Belmont, Massachusetts, near Boston.
