Portuguese fiber producer Altri SGPS S.A. has agreed to acquire a majority interest in Swiss clean technology company AeoniQ to support the commercial-scale development of a fully biodegradable cellulose-based filament designed to replace polyester and nylon.
As part of the agreement, the world’s first 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 AeoniQ joint venture is backed by global players across the textile value chain: German fashion brand Hugo Boss and MAS Holdings, South Asia’s technical garment maker, are equity co-investors, while The Lycra Company acquired exclusive distribution rights. Additional development partners include 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 fiber sector
The completion of the acquisition is subject to the fulfillment of closing conditions, as is standard in transactions of this nature. The companies expect the process to be completed in Q3.
Photo courtesy Altri
