Pili received a new accolade for its bio-based pigments.
The French biotech company received the Special Prize from the National Association for the Development of the Fashion Arts (ANDAM).
Each year, the ANDAM Fashion Awards offer a financial and logistic support to designers and companies contributing to the vitality and durability of the fashion creative industry. Pili was recognized by an expert committee for its innovation that combines microbial fermentation and green chemistry to produce bio-based dyes and pigments from renewable resources.
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Last year, Citizens of Humanity Group debuted the first garments produced with Pili’s Eco-Indigo, an alternative to petroleum-derived indigo dye. Pili’s method to produce high-performance colors reduces harmful chemicals and fossil fuel dependency while cutting CO₂ emissions by up to 50 percent compared to traditional indigo dyeing processes.
ANDAM lauded the process as a “concrete, scalable alternative to the petrochemical colorants that have long defined fashion’s dyeing industry.”
In a LinkedIn post, Pili said the recognition from the ANDAM Fashion Innovation Award highlights the growing momentum behind bio-based solutions in the fashion industry.
“At Pili, we transform one of fashion’s most iconic symbols: denim blue. By producing our Eco-Indigo through biotechnology, we’re offering a credible alternative to its petrochemical counterpart. Being acknowledged by such a prestigious expert committee reinforces our conviction: The future of fashion relies on materials and processes that drastically reduce environmental impact, from carbon to water. It’s a strong signal that bio-based dyes are no longer a niche, they are becoming a new standard,” the company stated.
Alphalyr, an AI-powered data analytics platform that helps fashion brands and retailers transform their supply chain, retail and e-commerce data into actionable decisions, received the top innovation prize. The prize is awarded to a start-up—French or international willing to develop their project in France—that is advancing biotech, new materials, production, distribution or the circular economy.
Since its launch in 2017, the ANDAM Innovation Prize has supported nine laureates who have collectively raised over 200 million euros and established partnerships with leading fashion and luxury brands. This year’s winners join that network, along with 100,000 euros in funding and mentoring from Yann Gozlan, the founder and president of Creative Valley, a Paris-based network of innovation centers and startup incubators.
