Renoa, a washable cashmere-like fiber, wins first new US fiber classification in 25 years

New York startup Everbloom has developed a new textile fiber called renoa, which imitates cashmere but is washable and promised to be more affordable. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which regulates fiber labeling in the country, recently approved renoa as the first new fiber classification in 25 years. TechCrunch reporter Tim De Chant described the material after visiting the company's office.

Why a substitute is sought

Cashmere sweaters are widely sold, from a $7,900 Bruno Cucinelli cardigan to a $50 Quince crewneck. Still, cashmere remains relatively expensive, hard to care for and environmentally problematic. The goats that produce it have been damaging rangelands across Central Asia.

How renoa is made

The material is made from waste protein: cashmere and wool scraps, plus down and feather lint left over from the bedding industry. Everbloom grinds the waste into a powder, blends it with a biodegradable biopolymer and extrudes it into fiber whose length and diameter mimic specific natural fibers. The company has worked on the fiber for three years and is now scaling up. It built its own AI model for material science, and the cashmere substitute is its first product.

Tested in practice

Co-founder and CEO Sim Gulati showed the reporter a sweater, gloves and a scarf made from renoa. The scarf stood out: Gulati had worn and washed it for months, including in a tumble dryer. It had not pilled and, according to Gulati, had not shrunk.

When it reaches shops

Everbloom is working with several companies to put renoa into consumer products. The first are likely to use it as a blend, around 20% of the material in a cashmere sweater. The first product is expected on the market in the second quarter of 2027. The reporter found an 80/20 cashmere-renoa blend extremely close to real cashmere.