Earthshot 2025 Finalist Matter receives backing from Inter IKEA Group to combat microfibre pollution
Rio De Janeiro [5.11.25] Earthshot 2025 finalist and British sustainable tech company Matter has today announced that Inter IKEA Group is leading the company’s current financing round. The investment round will enable Matter to roll out its innovative technology to tackle one of the planet’s most invasive forms of pollution - microfibres from textile production.
Matter are innovators in water filtration, pioneering filtration technology to capture microplastics and cut carbon emissions. Matter’s breakthrough filtration technology, Regen®, is the first scalable, self-cleaning filtration system designed to capture microplastic fibres at source – during production. By combining environmental impact with operational efficiency, Regen® provides the kind of commercially viable, high performance solution that makes widespread adoption possible.
Matter is on a mission to prevent 15,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution from entering our oceans by 2030. Through an investment in Matter, Inter IKEA is hoping to explore how the pioneering Regen® filtration technology can transform textile production globally.
Linn Clabburn, Innovation Ventures Leader at Inter IKEA Group:
“IKEA is committed to use water sustainably by reducing water usage across our value chain and by protecting nature and supporting communities affected by water pollution. The topic of microplastics is an important industry question and through our investment in Matter, we are looking forward to taking an active role in tackling the issue and to inspire widespread water action in society.”
Following the investment round, Matter will scale its industrial filtration technology by working closely with manufacturers across the textile industry supply chain to reduce environmental impact while also lowering operating costs through decreased energy and chemical use. In 2026, Matter will deliver four full-scale Regen® treatment systems to the textile industry. Following this, the goal is to install systems at over 400 factories by 2030.
Adam Root, CEO and Founder of Matter:
““The investment and adoption of Regen® by global leaders like Inter IKEA, alongside our first installation at Paradise Textiles, shows what is possible when sustainability meets commercial viability. Large corporates play an important role in supporting new technologies and offers a route to creating impact at scale”. ”
Microplastics are one of the fastest-growing environmental threats to the planet – with 171 trillion particles already in our oceans, disrupting oxygen generation, carbon capture, and posing human health risks. Microfibre pollution is the largest contributor. The textile industry alone contributes over 160,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution annually – until now, effective scalable solutions have been non-existent.
As key global brands embrace advanced microfibre filtration systems like Regen®, this collaboration signals a broader movement in industry. One where our planet does not need to be at odds with business, technology and profitability. In collaboration with industry leaders, Matter are demonstrating that protecting our oceans can be integral to sustainable business success.
