Refiberd, a California-based fashion tech start-up, was recently named eBay’s first-ever Circular Fashion Innovator of the Year. This accolade cements Refiberd’s position as a rising force in the push for a more sustainable fashion industry.
But who exactly is Refiberd, and how is it transforming textile waste into a circular opportunity?
Founded in May 2020 by Sarika Bajaj (CEO), Tushita Gupta (CTO), and Mingyue Ida Wang, Refiberd was established to address the mounting global textile waste crisis—an estimated 186 billion pounds of textiles are discarded each year, with less than 1% being recycled. In response, the founders developed a proprietary system that fuses artificial intelligence with hyperspectral imaging, enabling highly precise identification of fibre content in used garments.
Unlike conventional sorting technologies, Refiberd’s system captures high-resolution data that not only identifies fibre types but also detects garment details, colour, and trace materials such as elastane. This level of accuracy is critical for fibre-to-fibre recycling, where contamination or incorrect sorting can derail the process.
“That gets us extra data, alongside machine learning that identifies attributes beyond fibre composition, such as garment type and colour,” Bajaj explains. “You’re able to get down to a level of fidelity that was never possible before — which will increase confidence metrics that enable sorting.”
Refiberd’s advancements have drawn recognition from across the fashion and recycling sectors. In 2022, Refiberd was selected for Fashion for Good’s Global Innovation Programme. Innovation Associate Dolly Vellanki highlighted the system’s ability to identify complex blends and contaminants—long-standing obstacles to effective textile recycling.
In 2023, Refiberd’s momentum continued when it was awarded the prestigious Global Change Award by the H&M Foundation. The foundation’s strategy lead, Christiane Dolva, praised Refiberd’s scalable, AI-driven model as instrumental in closing fashion’s linear loop.
However, advanced sorting is only one piece of the circularity puzzle. As Stuart Ahlum, COO of SuperCircle, points out, a lack of scalable infrastructure for collection, processing, and material breakdown continues to impede progress.
Fibre recyclability itself remains a challenge. Stacy Flynn, CEO of Evrnu, notes that many textiles in circulation are either non-recyclable or possess limited recycling potential, underscoring the need for more flexible material solutions. Design also plays a key role. Vellanki emphasises that innovations in pre-processing—such as deconstruction, cleaning, and shredding—must evolve to support high-throughput systems.
Refiberd’s strength lies in addressing these challenges at the source. Its integration of machine learning and hyperspectral imaging tackles the root issue: precise identification and classification of mixed textile waste. In a growing AI-powered recycling landscape—with players such as Siptex, Fibersort, Tomra, Matoha, TrinamiX, Sortile, and Picvisa—Refiberd distinguishes itself through its technical depth and strategic focus.
By enabling accurate material recovery, Refiberd reduces landfill reliance and supports fashion’s shift from a linear to a regenerative model. Its recognition and growing investment signal a larger transformation—where deep-tech innovation becomes the key to redesigning legacy systems and unlocking a truly circular economy.
Start-ups like Refiberd are not merely innovating—they are driving the transformation of fashion from a waste-intensive model to a circular, regenerative system. By addressing systemic inefficiencies with advanced technology, they close the gap between sustainability goals and operational execution. As the fashion industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, these deep-tech disruptors offer the tools, insights, and scalability required to make sustainable practices both viable and profitable. In essence, the future of sustainable fashion will not be shaped by convention—it will be engineered by trailblazers like Refiberd.
Fashion Network. (2025, April 10). Refiberd wins eBay’s first circular fashion innovator of the year award. https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Refiberd-wins-ebay-s-first-circular-fashion-innovator-of-the-year-award,1719366.html
Tracxn. (n.d.). Refiberd company profile. https://tracxn.com/d/companies/refiberd/__CNYM0HkRjAPJycIb6BkwMgJYbcGj6XfC3-ZCg8T3z28
Best of AI. (2025, April 8). 34M funding is just a tool for this textile recycling startup.
https://bestofai.com/article/34m-funding-is-just-a-tool-for-this-textile-recycling-startup
Vogue Business. (2025, April 5). The circular fashion challenge: Can AI help to close the loop? https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/the-circular-fashion-challenge-can-ai-help-to-close-the-loop
TexSpace Today. (2025, April 3). Refiberd: AI-based textile waste transformation. https://www.texspacetoday.com/refiberd-ai-based-textile-waste-transformation/
Pinecrest Fabrics. (2018, May). Refiberd – Pinecrest white paper. https://pinecrestfabrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Refiberd-__-Pinecrest-White-Paper_compressed.pdf
