HeiQ selling majority stake in AeoniQ to Portuguese company Altri

(CONNECT) Altri SGPS S.A. has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in AeoniQ. AeoniQ is a Schlieren-based cleantech spin-off from HeiQ Materials AG, also from Schlieren. AeoniQ has developed the world’s first climate-positive, biodegradable cellulosic filament yarn, engineered as a potential replacement for polyester and nylon.

A press release from HeiQ reports that the world’s first industrial AeoniQ plant will be constructed at Altri’s Caima pulp mill as part of the agreement. Construction is expected to begin in 2026. In addition, a pre-industrial plant is reportedly to be launched in early 2026 in Portugal to accelerate prototyping, brand partnerships and capsule collections.

According to the information provided, the joint venture branded AeoniQ is backed by global players across the textile value chain: the German fashion brand Hugo Boss and MAS Holdings, South Asia’s leading technical garment maker, are equity co-investors. The Lycra Company has acquired exclusive distribution rights. Additional development partners include Riopele, Impetus, Lameirinho, Beste, Feinjersey, Taiana, Dolinschek, Aunde Group, Amann and Strahle + Hess.

“We are scaling a game-changing innovation that aligns perfectly with our commitment to build a more renewable world,” says Altri's CEO José Soares de Pina. In the words of HeiQ’s CEO Carlo Centonze, 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”.

HeiQ is a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), is based at the IJZ Innovation and Young Entrepreneur Center and is a member of Start Smart Schlieren. ce/mm