University of Leeds spinout SwitchDye has secured a minority equity investment from John Hogg Technical Solutions to scale up its greener polyester dyeing technology. Developed through a collaboration between the Schools of Design and Chemistry at Leeds, SwitchDye's drop-in system uses carbonated water to dye polyester, eliminating up to 90% of the chemicals typically required, while using 40% less water and reducing energy consumption — all without compromising dyeing performance.
The investment is particularly timely given that polyester accounts for more than half of global fibre output, and the industry's dyeing processes release approximately 280,000 tonnes of waste dye and chemicals annually. John Hogg will contribute manufacturing expertise and customer network access to help SwitchDye transition from laboratory validation to real-world mill environments, with the technology also designed to support end-of-life fibre-to-fibre recycling by enabling easier dye removal.