IM
Hera Health Solutions
AI-designed fiber writing with a digital twin running alongside it.
Pilot or trial engagementIn marketStartup
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Receive a weekly email digest of the latest technical textiles added by the network.Browse 445 solutions in technical and functional textiles on the Halo network
Updated Sept 25, 2026
Technical and functional textiles covers fabric engineered for a job, not for appearance. On Halo, the solutions cover nonwovens built from a digital model, film-free breathable outercovers, footwear comfort and thermoregulation, and fiber chemistry and bonding. Sign up to search the full network and post your specific need.
Nonwovens built from a digital model
IM
HJ
University of Cincinnati
Porous nonwoven prototypes printed from the digital twin that designed them.
Co-developmentIn developmentUniversity
Northeastern University
Melt electrowriting building a graded microfiber network to spec.
Sponsored researchIn developmentUniversity
XL
Washington University in St. Louis
Multi-scale hybrid fabrication turning a digital design into a prototype.
Sponsored researchIn developmentUniversity
YL
Laser Universal LLC
Two-photon laser prototyping of porous nonwovens from a model.
Fee-for-service (full service)In developmentStartup
CS
Northwestern University
Photopolymerization holding dimensional fidelity in a printed fiber analog.
Sponsored researchConceptualUniversity
PG
Northwestern University
In-gel electrohydrodynamic writing, producing 3D nonwoven fiber directly.
Co-developmentConceptualUniversity
SB
Valor Infrastructure Holdings, LLC
Micro-CT closing the loop between the prototype and the compiler that made it.
Co-developmentConceptualStartup
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Conductive 3D carbon collectors shaping where the fiber lands.
Sponsored researchConceptualUniversity
Film-free breathable outercovers
Aerosol electrospun PVB and stearic acid, for a barrier that stays quiet.
Sponsored researchIn developmentStartup
AG
Gelatex Technologies
An ultralight nanofiber nonwoven built to breathe with no film.
Co-developmentConceptualStartup
RT
Mahatma Gandhi University
A film-free nonwoven argued on softness, quietness and breathability.
ConceptualUniversity
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Who is working on technical and functional textiles
Organizations in technical and functional textiles
Universities, startups, and suppliers with solutions in technical textiles.
Technical textiles companies
Innovators in technical and functional textiles
Researchers and inventors advancing technical textiles.
Technical textiles expertsAbout technical and functional textiles
Two requests shape the set on Halo. Nine entries build a nonwoven from a digital model, using melt electrowriting, two-photon polymerization, electrohydrodynamic writing or micro-CT in a closed loop. Eight more make a breathable outercover with no film in it, which is a sensory requirement as much as a technical one. On Halo it spans 7 groups, including nonwovens built from a digital model, film-free breathable outercovers, and footwear comfort and thermoregulation.
Stage of development. Work on technical and functional textiles on Halo is split between university programs and companies. 47% of the solutions are in market. Co-development and sponsored research are the usual partnering routes, and about 40% of the solutions that state terms offer pilot engagements.
Three trends in technical textiles on Halo
Nine ways to print a nonwoven. Melt electrowriting, two-photon laser polymerization, in-gel electrohydrodynamic direct writing, conductive carbon collectors shaping deposition, and micro-CT closing the loop back to the compiler. Nonwovens are made by processes that get tuned, not designed, and nine groups have answered a request to make them designable.
Film-free is a sensory specification. Eight entries make a breathable outercover and the words that recur are soft, quiet and low add-on. A plastic film breathes badly and rustles, and in an absorbent hygiene product the rustle is the complaint. What looks like a barrier engineering problem is really an acoustic and tactile one.
Footwear became a thermal problem. Six entries work on a shoe and four of them manage heat: a polymer foam that switches thermally, airflow redirected through the shoe, laminated metamaterials tuned for cushioning and thermal comfort, parylene controlling humidity. Cushioning is mature, and the remaining complaint about an athletic shoe is that it is hot.
409organizations
445solutions listed
53%from university labs
47%in market
Frequently asked questions
What are technical textiles?
Technical and functional textiles covers fabric engineered for a job, not for appearance. It spans digitally designed nonwoven prototyping, film-free breathable outercovers, footwear comfort and thermoregulation, air filtration media, fiber chemistry and bonding, and the measurement and modeling of a flexible material. Hygiene and apparel manufacturers, converters and footwear brands are the buyers.
What are examples of technical textiles?
Five examples of technical textiles on Halo include:
- AI-designed fiber writing with a digital twin running alongside it. (Hera Health Solutions)
- Aerosol electrospun PVB and stearic acid, for a barrier that stays quiet. (IMT inc)
- Elastomeric nonwovens with nanotechnology, for a more comfortable sole. (Suntech Engineered Materails)
- A biobased bonding agent raising the strength of the textile. (Mi Terro)
- A hydrogel that binds red blood cells on contact with menstrual fluid. (Aegelys)
What are the latest technical textiles innovations?
Over the past 90 days, researchers and innovators on Halo have added these technical textiles:
Which companies and suppliers are developing technical textiles?
There are 409 organizations with technical textiles on Halo, 69 of them universities and research institutions. Among them are Hera Health Solutions, University of Cincinnati, and Northeastern University. Most offer co-development or sponsored research. Sign up to see every organization working in the area and to send them your specific need.
How do I find technical textiles research partners?
Browsing technical textiles on Halo is free. Sign up to search the full network and save the ones you want. Post your specific need to get exact matches. Organizations reply directly on the platform.
What are R&D teams looking for in technical textiles?
Over the past 12 months, R&D teams on Halo have posted these technical textiles needs:
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