The Solutions Explorer lets you create alerts that match your needs. You can create several alerts and you will receive a notification each time a new Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions is labelled and matches your filters.
Your Search Alerts will show up here.
Sign in to create alerts for your filters and search terms.
Sign inDon't have an account?
Sign upSeptember 24, 2024
Outerknown
Carlsbad
In September of 2024, Keel Labs released its first commercial product launch with lifestyle brand Outerknown, in a run of 150 units of their iconic Blanket Shirt, made with a Kelsun/Cotton blend. The launch of the Kelsun® Blanket Shirt was a giant feat for Keel Labs, having taken their fiber through the implementation of industry-scale weaving machinery, dyeing, and garment manufacturing. The shirt quickly sold out in a few days, with 3x the demand in back-in-stock sign-ups. The story made headlines, with 34 press features across publications such as Forbes, Fast Company, and Sourcing Journal.
Legacy fibers like cotton, viscose, and wool wreak havoc on ecosystems. Cotton, occupying just 2.4% of global cropland, consumes 16% of insecticides and requires 2,700 liters of water per t-shirt. Viscose production drives deforestation, logging over 200 million trees annually, including endangered forests, and relies on toxic chemicals like carbon disulfide. Kelsun transforms the fiber industry by addressing biodiversity loss, water depletion, and toxic chemical use.
It’s been ten years since we made the first one (Blanket Shirt), and we are proud to partner with Keel Labs on the next generation of this shirt with a version made from Kelsun, a 100% bio-based fiber derived from seaweed. Working with suppliers that share our love for the ocean is a great fit for Outerknown.
Kelly Slater, Co-Founder of Outerknown
Kelsun® is a revolutionary fiber, created by pairing seaweed biopolymers with our proprietary bio-based formulation to create a material that easily biodegrades at its end of life. Synthetics that are petroleum-derived can take hundreds of years to decompose in the environment and contaminate our oceans, bodies, and ecosystems with microplastics. Kelsun is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing textile manufacturing processes, offering industries like apparel, home goods, and non-wovens a viable path to reduce their reliance on water and land-intensive crops, petrochemicals, and greenhouse gas-emitting processes. We strive to empower companies to embrace change without compromising performance or scalability. Together, we can build a resilient future—one where innovation drives sustainability, and the materials we use enrich rather than deplete the world around us.
Share
The information set out above, is solely for the purposes of information and the Solar Impulse Foundation does not provide any guarantee as to its authenticity, completeness or accuracy. This information does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy into, transact or to enter into any agreement with any of the parties or persons mentioned above. Potential investors or interested parties are solely responsible for their investment or business decisions and for performing any due diligence required by the circumstances. The innovator has asserted ownership of the intellectual property rights for images, videos, and content showcased above, affirming full and unrestricted usage rights, and has provided explicit permission for the Solar Impulse Foundation to publish such information designated as "public" in the application form.
