Dropel Fabrics is an American technology company that develops, manufactures, and licenses sustainable treatments for natural fabrics to make spill proof and stain proof threads.[1][2] The company is known for creating the world's first water and stain repellent naturals fabrics that maintain their softness and breathability.[3][4]
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Sim Gulati and Bradley Feinstein |
| Headquarters | New York, New York |
Area served | International |
| Products | Dropel cotton fabrics |
| Website | dropelfabrics |
History
editDropel was founded in 2015 by Sim Gulati following his research in material sciences and innovative textile processes.[5][6] 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.[7][8] In 2015 the company consulted with Amanda Parkes, Ph.D., termed a “fashion scientist” from Massachusetts Institute of Technology by Industry magazine.[9][10]
Dropel incubated in New York based fashion accelerator, New York Fashion Tech Lab, and launched at the incubator's June 2015 demonstration day.[11][12]
The New York Times reported that Dropel “patented a nanotechnology process that bonds hydrophobic polymers with natural fibers on the molecular level to make them water- and stain-repellent, a process that can be licensed by clothing brands.”[10] The company has integrated its technology with brands AREA NYC, CEAM and Mister French.[13][14] Dropel was part of the inaugural class of Fashion For Good, a sustainable fashion accelerator led by Kering, Plug and Play Ventures, Galleries Lafayette and the C&A Foundation.[15] Fashion Tech Lab, a venture-capital accelerator led by Russian retail entrepreneur Miroslava Duma, Gaetan Bonhomme, Alex Moore, Cybernaut Venture Capital, and Full Tilt Capital invested in Dropel's seed round of funding.[16] In 2015, Business Insider named Dropel Fabrics one of the “100 most exciting startups in New York City.”[6]
References
edit- ^ "This Fashion Startup Wants to Eliminate Stains Forever". Time magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Stain proof fabrics are the future thanks to Dropel Fabrics' hydrophobic technology". Bustle. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Dropel Fabrics revolutionizing fabric technology". Fashion United. June 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Dropel Fabrics promises you a life without shirt stains". Mashable. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Nanotech Dress Shirts Promise a Stain-Proof Future". Esquire. 18 June 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ a b "100 of the most exciting startups in New York City". Business Insider. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Could Nanotechnology Dramatically Reduce Clothing's Environmental Impact?". Green Stitched. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Can this shirt get you through the workday sweat-free in Africa's heat? Meet hydrophobic fabrics". Mail & Guardian Africa. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Reinventing Fashion with a Silicon Valley Twist". CNBC. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ a b Friedman, Vanessa (30 April 2016). "Brooklyn's Wearable Revolution". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "New York Fashion Tech Lab Introduces Innovative new Designers". Essence. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "New York Fashion Tech Lab Aims to Merge NYC's Fashion and Tech Scenes". Uncubed. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "How Dropel Fabrics is Reinvigorating the Fashion Industry via Tech". Forbes. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Repair the 'Networking Disconnect' and Pursue Your Dream Job". Entrepreneur magazine. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Plug & Play's New Accelerator Wants to Make the Fashion Industry Less Wasteful". Retrieved 26 October 2017.
- ^ "Модная Россия: инвестиции в одежду позволяют изменить ее внешний вид и процесс покупки". Forbes Russia. Retrieved 26 October 2017.