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ZÜRICH and PORTO, Portugal, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Altri SGPS S.A. (ALTR.LS), a Portuguese-listed leader in sustainable cellulosic pulp production, has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in AeoniQ™ – marking a decisive leap into sustainable textiles. The Altri investment, including a capital increase, will allow building out commercial-scale AeoniQ™ production capacity, reinforcing its strategic vision to diversify into high-value, low-impact cellulosic applications.
Match made in heaven for textiles
AeoniQ™, a Swiss-based cleantech spin-off of HeiQ Materials AG, has developed the world’s first climate-positive, biodegradable cellulosic filament yarn engineered to replace polyester and nylon. The AeoniQ™ platform is poised to disrupt the global textile industry by offering a fully circular, plastic-free alternative that mirrors the performance of synthetic fibers – without their environmental toll.
From Breakthrough to Scale: Industrializing AeoniQ™ in Portugal
As part of the agreement, the world’s first industrial AeoniQ™ plant will be constructed at Altri’s Caima pulp mill. Construction is expected to begin in 2026 with an initial capacity of 1.750 tons per year. On top of the already existing pilot lines in Austria, a pre-industrial plant will be launched in early 2026 in Portugal to accelerate prototyping, brand partnerships, and capsule collections.
The joint venture branded “AeoniQ,” blends Altri’s industrial expertise with HeiQ’s technological prowess – “A” for Altri and “iQ” for HeiQ, a partnership for the next eon of mankind, the sustainable one! The venture will benefit from vertical integration of eucalyptus-based pulp to finished yarn, later expanding to incorporate recycled feedstocks such as cotton textiles waste, agricultural waste as well as bacterial cellulose derived from food waste.
Sustainability and Performance with Market-Ready Validation
AeoniQ™’s cellulosic filament yarns are fully biodegradable in marine, soil, freshwater, and industrial composting environments (certified by TÜV Austria and OEKO-TEX®). The product offers natural elasticity, softness, tenacity, and the unique ability to be textured—making it suitable for everything from lingerie and workwear to footwear, home textiles, medical apparel, and automotive interiors.
Two independent Life Cycle Assessments confirm that AeoniQ™ reduces CO₂ emissions by at least 3.2 kg per kg of yarn compared to polyester. The yarn has already appeared in four capsule collections from Hugo Boss and in Lameirinho’s “vegan silk” bedlinen line presented at Heimtextil 2025.
Transforming the Textile Ecosystem Through Strategic Alliances
The AeoniQ™ joint venture is backed by global players across the textile value chain: German fashion brand Hugo Boss and MAS Holdings, South Asias leading technical garment maker, are equity co-investors, while THE LYCRA COMPANY acquired exclusive distribution rights. Additional development partners include amongst others Riopele, Impetus, Lameirinho, Beste, Feinjersey, Taiana, Dolinschek, Aunde Group, Amann and Strahle + Hess.
“This agreement gives concrete form to Altri’s strategy of moving up the value chain and investing in next-generation materials,” said José Soares de Pina, CEO of Altri. “We are scaling a game-changing innovation that aligns perfectly with our commitment to build a more renewable world.”
Carlo Centonze, CEO of HeiQ, added: “Altri’s investment transforms AeoniQ™ from a market-proven innovation into a full-scale global production platform. Together, we are offering a market-ready solution to one of the planet’s most polluting industries, textiles. The joint venture brings together Altri’s industrial expertise and HeiQ’s innovation prowess to deliver a European-made, sustainable, high performance and plastic-free textile.”
In addition to diversifying its operations, the acquisition of AeoniQ™ aligns with Altri’s strategy to increase its involvement in the sustainable textile fibre sector and contribute to building a more renewable world. The group is founded on the principles of the bioeconomy, using renewable and recyclable resources from certified forests and transforming them through industrial processes aligned with the most efficient and environmentally advanced technologies, promoting circular economy principles.
The completion of the acquisition is subject to the fulfilment of closing conditions, as is standard in transactions of this nature. The companies expect the process to be completed in Q3.
About:
HeiQ
HeiQ is a global cleantech and biotech materials innovator headquartered in Switzerland that delivers over 200 patented technologies for textiles, cosmetics, hygiene, batteries, building materials, and more. HeiQ’s purpose is simple: make everyday products better and longer-lasting by using science.
www.heiq.com
Altri
Altri SGPS S.A. is a leading European producer of cellulosic fibers from FSC and PEFC certified forests, operating three modern pulp mills with over 1.1 million tons in annual production capacity. The Group is also active in renewable energy from forest sources, particularly in industrial cogeneration using black liquor. Its forest strategy is based on the full use of all forest components: cellulosic fibres, black liquor, and forest residues. Committed to the bioeconomy and decarbonization, Altri is now expanding into sustainable textiles to reshape the future of fiber.
www.altri.pt
AeoniQ™
AeoniQ™ is HeiQ’s flagship textile innovation: a fully biodegradable, recyclable, plastic-free filament yarn made from renewable and circular cellulose feedstocks. Designed to replace heavily polluting and microplastic generating polyester and nylon, AeoniQ™ offers fashion and technical performance without environmental cost. Its independent corporate structure enables strategic investment and rapid commercialization.
www.heiq-aeoniq.com
CONTACTS
HeiQ Group
www.heiq.com
[email protected]
+351 96 500 91 29
