en.Wedoany.com Reported - Niber Technologies is advancing the industrial application of its PFAS-free electrospun nanofiber membrane platform, responding to increasingly stringent restrictions on PFAS (synthetic "forever chemicals") by global regulators. The company claims its products deliver PFAS-free performance without compromise.
PFAS do not degrade naturally and accumulate in water, soil, and living organisms. The EU REACH regulation restricting PFHxA will take effect in October 2026, alongside France's Law 2025-188 and various state-level regulations in the United States. Brands that have long relied on PFAS chemistry need compliant alternatives that do not sacrifice performance. Niber's membranes are PFAS-free by design—an inherent property of the product at the foundational level, not a post-hoc adjustment.
Founded in 2019 by the Park brothers, Niber's electrospinning expertise originates from South Korea. The founders scaled a technology previously confined to laboratory settings into an industrial-scale manufacturing platform, establishing production and R&D facilities in the Philippines. The Singapore-registered company serves customers across Asia, Europe, and North America. To support growth, Niber has raised over $11 million in total institutional funding to date, with its Series A round backed by investors including TNB Aura and the Asian Development Bank. Niber claims to be the first manufacturer in Southeast Asia to achieve industrial-scale production of PFAS-free electrospun nanofiber membranes. The company's leadership includes President and Chief Strategy Officer Richard Beck, and Chief Operating Officer Kim Yong-hwan, who oversees the Philippine production base.
Many PFAS-free alternatives currently on the market require brands to compromise on breathability, water resistance, or weight. Niber's approach aims to optimize performance at the fiber level rather than merely adjusting at the finished membrane level, thereby breaking the performance trade-off. Niber's membranes are composed of nanofibers at least 450 nanometers in length, with each fiber approximately 20 times smaller than a bacterium and about 200 times finer than a human hair. This control at the individual fiber level enables the company to precisely tune the membrane's water resistance, moisture vapor transmission, and the lightweight flexibility of garments. The membrane has a RET value of 1—the lower the value, the more breathable the material—ensuring high-performance apparel can rapidly expel moisture. The base membrane withstands water pressure exceeding 3,000 mmH₂O, while laminated versions exceed 10,000 mmH₂O, allowing brands to customize protection levels across different product categories on the same platform. The membrane's areal density ranges from 3 to 14 g/m², light enough for 2-layer, 3-layer, or composite constructions. Because the product line is PFAS-free from the outset, brands sourcing from Niber can meet upcoming regulations—including the EU REACH rules on PFHxA and France's Law 2025-188—within the same timeframe as other parts of their supply chain.
Niber's technology has been demonstrated in an outdoor jacket prototype developed using TPU material supplied by BASF, which will be exhibited by BASF at CHINAPLAS 2026 in Shanghai. Niber uses BASF's TPU as the raw material for its membranes, a sustainability-oriented collaboration aimed at ensuring material traceability throughout the supply chain.
Niber has announced the appointment of Jochen Lagemann as Chief Commercial Officer, effective August 1, 2026. With over 25 years of experience building ingredient brands in the functional apparel and textile industry, Lagemann will lead Niber's global go-to-market efforts from Munich—the company's first European office. This appointment builds on Niber's ingredient brand strategy developed in partnership with BRAIND, an ingredient brand consultancy founded in 2011. Tomas Vucurevic, Managing Director of BRAIND, serves as Niber's Chief Brand Advisor, supporting the company's journey to becoming a structured ingredient brand.
