Image by SEFF

10 June 2025

Can you tell us about SEFF, how it started, and what the organisation does?

SEFF started as a vision rooted in my own background. I grew up in a family with a history in textiles, particularly bedding, so I understood how materials move through supply chains and the emerging opportunity in sustainable fibres. About 15 years ago, I began exploring hemp seriously, seeing its potential not just as an agricultural crop, but as the base of a whole new fibre system. We founded SEFF in 2017 once we had both a technology that could scale and a clear sense of how to work across the entire ecosystem, from seed to shelf.

Today, SEFF produces high-quality, supply-chain-ready hemp fibre. But we do more than make fibre —we partner deeply with brands, mills, farmers, and innovators. Through SEFF Co-Labs, we co-develop products, adapt our fibre to specific needs, and help build confidence and alignment across the supply chain. SEFF is as much a platform for transformation as it is a materials company.

The textile industry has long been stuck in a binary: if you want performance, you’re pushed toward synthetics. If you want natural, you’re largely limited to cotton. But that leaves a big gap. At SEFF, we’re filling it by creating a new category: natural performance fibre. We focus on bast fibres, primarily hemp, whose extraordinary natural structures correlate with extraordinary performance attributes.

We’ve developed a patented technology called Nano-Pulse™, which uses high-voltage electric pulses in a liquid medium to gently separate the fibre from the natural “glues” in hemp —without damaging its structure. This preserves the hemp’s innate strengths—breathability, durability, thermoregulation, moisture control, UV protection, and antimicrobial properties—while making it soft, spinnable, and scalable for premium applications.

Traditional hemp has been too coarse, and chemically treated bast fibres often compromise both sustainability and performance. Nano-Pulse™ changes the game: it unlocks hemp’s full potential as a fibre that’s not just good for the planet, but exceptional for product quality.

What have been the biggest successes so far?

What role does collaboration play in bringing innovations to scale?

Collaboration is everything. Hemp is still a young material in the context of modern performance textiles. To make it viable at scale, we work across the value chain—from seed scientists and farmers to spinners, mills, and designers. For example, when a mill tells us they need certain fibre characteristics to blend with a specific cotton on a particular machine, we adjust our processing to deliver that. That kind of back-and-forth defines how we work.

We see ourselves as the connective tissue in the industry—linking agronomy with fashion, and helping translate between the science and the product. That means every stakeholder becomes a co-creator in this new system.

How has Fashion for Good played a role in your journey so far?

Fashion for Good has been an incredible accelerator. They opened doors to some of the most forward-thinking brands and created a community of peers. The support goes beyond the programme—Fashion for Good continues to make introductions, check in, and look for ways to amplify our work. Personally, it’s been energising to be part of a network of innovators who are all pushing in the same direction. It feels like a community, not just a platform.

What’s next for you?

We’re scaling fast. We’re working with a growing number of brands and mills to develop capsule collections that showcase what natural performance can look and feel like. We’re also expanding the availability of our Nano-Pulse technology, which will incentivise hemp cultivation and localise high-quality processing to SEFF’s high standards. We’ve brought on incredible talent—from Neil Bell, formerly Director of Innovation at Levi’s, to David Rosenstein, a leader in climate tech, Junaid Safdar, former COO of Beximco, and Eric Nielsen, a senior marketer at some of the world’s most iconic brands, including American Express and Google. We have what we call our shared Ultimate Intent: Game-Changing Change-Making. The momentum is real, and the opportunity is enormous. We’re raising capital and growing our team.

Lastly, what advice would you give consumers trying to be more sustainable?

Be curious. Ask questions. So many brands today are hard at work investing in better materials, rethinking their supply chains, and introducing new technologies. Look for those stories. Look for traceability. At SEFF, for example, our fibres can be traced back to the farm—and that’s becoming increasingly possible across the industry.

Sustainability starts with awareness. The more consumers seek transparency, the more brands are encouraged to deliver it. You don’t need to be perfect—you just need to care enough to learn.