Textile innovation company Solena Materials is on the move. The biotech company, which has begun using artificial intelligence (AI) to design plastic-free protein-based fibres for luxury and high-performance fabrics, is taking up residence in a pilot facility in London’s North Acton.

Following Solena’s £5.1 million seed funding in 2025, the move is part of its “decisive step” towards commercialisation as the business prepares for its first commercial product launch in 2027.

Solena becomes one of the first tenants to occupy Imperial College London’s new innovation and advanced manufacturing location in the heart of WestTech London. The move marks a “critical transition from breakthrough lab research to scalable production”, it said.

The new site provides Solena with “the space and infrastructure needed to advance its computationally designed protein materials and optimise manufacturing processes ahead of industrial-scale technology transfer”. 

With the capacity to produce up to two tonnes of fibre a year, the facility will enable Solena “to service its existing premium athleisure and luxury brand partners while preparing for full commercial rollout”.

It said the move also sets the stage for its next wave of recruitment and job creation, “reinforcing Imperial’s position as the number-one university globally for innovation-driven enterprise and scientific translation”.

John Anderson, chief investment officer at Imperial College London, said: “Solena has grown through our innovation ecosystem – starting in the Imperial Incubator, leveraging the expertise and support of London BioFoundry, and moving into the I-HUB.

“[Its] journey is the perfect and excellent example of how deep science ventures can scale in WestTech London, and how innovation is driving growth, not just for London, across the UK.”