ITMF Start-up Awards 2025
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is one of the oldest international non-governmental organizations, founded in 1904. It functions as an international forum for the world‘s textile industries with the mission to:
- Connect its members by providing meeting grounds to strengthen relations along the entire textile value chain from fiber to fashion,
- Inform its members by collecting, analyzing and distributing relevant data and by providing neutral forums for discussions and the exchange of best practices,
- Represent the textile industry towards governments, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) by actively participating in discussions about the evolution of the industry.
What are the ITMF Start-up Awards?
The ITMF Start-up Awards recognize start-ups that are offering new products and processes that help the textile industry to get better.
Application Process for the ITMF Start-up Awards 2025
Start-ups relevant for the textile industry may apply for the ITMF Start-up Awards. Applications must entail:
- An executive summary (maximum 1 page) with a description of the value added, including approach, objective, methodology, and (expected) results.
- A short biography of the participants including, i.e., the applicant’s contact data, career achievements and history, education, list of publications, etc.
- A description of the added value offered by the Start-up (maximum two-pages) containing the following information:
- What is the basic objective and what the methodical approach by the Start-up to achieve this objective?
- How does the Start-up’s product and/or service provide added value?
- Quantify the benefits of the Start-ups product and/or service.
Deadline
All applications received until 30th of April 2025, will be considered. It is advised to follow the application process when it comes to handing in the right documents.
Endowment
The recipients of the ITMF Start-up Awards will be invited to present their Start-ups product/service at the ITMF Annual Conference 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (October 23-25, 2025).
Jury & Criteria
The Jury is made up of the following persons:
Chairman: Mr Loek de Vries, Bombyx Growth Capital, ITMF Board Member (Netherlands)
Mr Juan Pares, Textil Santanderina, AIPTA, ITMF Vice-President (Spain)
Mr Mustafa Denizer, Diktas, TTEA, ITMF Vice President (Türkiye)
Mr Xu Yingxin, CNTAC, ITMF Board Member (China)
Mr Tae Jin Kang, Prof. Emeritus, Seoul National University, ITMF Board Member (Korea Rep.)
Mr Thomas Gries, Professor, RWTH Aachen University, ITA (Germany)
Mr Ricardo Cecci, Professor, SENAI CETIQT (Brazil)
Mr R. Alagirusamy, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (India)
Mr Fu Guangwei, Director General, China Textile Engineering Society (China)
Mr Juan Marcos Sanz Casado, Director R & D, Textil Santanderina (Spain)
Additional specialists/experts can be invited, if deemed necessary.
Secretary of the Jury: Mr Christian Schindler, Director General, ITMF
Evaluation criteria
The Start-ups will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Technology (25 points)
A Start-up needs a business-driver, often a new or renewed technology or an existing technology for a new application. Sub-criteria are uniqueness (USP), simplicity, competitive advantage, patents, etc. - Product (25 points)
A Start-up needs a market-breaker (product champion) to open up the market fast. Sub-criteria are value proposition, scalability, degree of digitalization, easiness of interaction with existing systems, etc. - Market (25 points)
A Start-up needs a proven market potential to grow fast with an effective earning model to create value. Sub-criteria are business model, easiness to access markets, go-to-market strategy (from "inside out" to “outside in”), target group advantage, value chain synergies, etc. - Presentation (10 points)
Quality of the presentation, quality of the information on the website, etc. - Others (15 points)