In less than five years, CDC Studio has laid the groundwork for a revolution in textile recycling, with innovative solutions such as Miktòs.
Transforming textile waste into new raw materials, ecological and fully recyclable. At a time when circularity and environmental sustainability have established themselves among the keywords guiding the accountability of every company, CDC Studio has made them the core of its work. The company, founded in 2020 in San Miniato, in the province of Pisa, has already helped innovate the textile sector in less than five years, moving from words to action. Two names stand out above all: Cōēo and Miktòs.
At the heart of CDC Studio's strategy is, in particular, Miktòs, the world's first compound made entirely from mixed textile waste. This innovation represents a true breakthrough in the sector, because it tackles one of the industry's greatest challenges: the recycling of blended fibres, which today often end up in landfill or are incinerated. Miktòs's innovative production process instead makes it possible to transform mixed textile waste — such as unsold garments and production off-cuts from fashion, furnishings or other sectors — into a plastic granulate that can be used to create new products. The compound is made 100 per cent from textile blends and mixed-fibre textiles. As it can replace conventional plastic, Miktòs finds application in sectors such as fashion, design, packaging, automotive and construction. Its production is also scalable and compatible with existing machinery, making it possible to implement in already operational industrial plants.
The innovation put forward by CDC Studio has not gone unnoticed. LifeGate Way, LifeGate's sustainable startup ecosystem, recognised it at CasaSanremo Invest, the event running alongside the song festival dedicated to entrepreneurial ventures that combine sustainability and innovation. A further confirmation of the startup's role in the field of textile regeneration and the circular economy.
But it's not just awards — there are also investments. At the very start of 2025, CDC Studio closed a funding round of 380,000 euros with the participation of Styleit, the Fashiontech accelerator of Cdp Venture Capital Sgr, Startupbootcamp, Gellify and Fondazione Social Venture Giordano Dell'Amore. A development that represents a boost for the company's expansion and the further advancement of its technologies, which include Cōēo, the first coating made from recycled post-consumer packaging, which transforms defective or unsold textiles and leathers into an innovative waterproof material.
CDC Studio's objective is clear: to meet the needs of the textile industry by minimising the sector's environmental impact, offering concrete and scalable alternatives for waste recovery. "Currently only 1 per cent of textiles are recycled, and the urgency of achieving circularity in this sector too — driven on one hand by the evident consequences of waste on climate change, and on the other by national and European directives — makes it increasingly necessary to develop technologies that help companies dispose of the waste they generate in a sustainable and economically advantageous way," say Cristina Di Carlo, CEO and co-founder, and Matteo Corbellini, CTO and co-founder.
