Everbloom, a material science startup, has developed an AI-driven process to transform waste materials like chicken feathers into high-quality fibers that mimic cashmere and other textiles. The company aims to disrupt the fashion industry by offering a sustainable, affordable alternative to traditional luxury fabrics. Cashmere is prized for its softness, warmth, and lightness, but its supply is limited. One goat produces only four to six ounces of cashmere per year, and rising demand has led to over-shearing and declining fiber quality. As Sim Gulati, Everbloom’s co-founder and CEO, explained, the industry is under strain, with low-cost cashmere sweaters often made from lower-grade fibers harvested too frequently, leading to unsustainable herding practices. Rather than trying to reform existing practices or convince consumers to pay more for premium cashmere, Everbloom took a different approach. It built Braid.AI, a material science AI that optimizes the creation of fibers by adjusting chemical formulations and processing parameters. The AI enables the company to produce materials that closely resemble cashmere, polyester, and other common textiles. The process begins with waste keratin-based materials—such as discarded cashmere, wool, down bedding, and chicken feathers. These are broken down, mixed with proprietary biodegradable compounds, and fed into a plastic extrusion machine. The resulting pellets are then spun into fiber using standard equipment used in 80% of the global textile industry, making Everbloom’s solution a direct drop-in replacement for existing production lines. A key innovation is that the final fibers are designed to be biodegradable, even when mimicking non-biodegradable materials like polyester. The company is currently conducting accelerated testing to validate this claim. By using waste streams, Everbloom significantly reduces environmental impact while also cutting costs. Gulati emphasized that sustainability should not come with a premium. “I don’t believe in a ‘sustainable premium,’” he said. “For a material to succeed, it must offer both environmental and economic benefits to brands, manufacturers, and consumers.” The goal is to make eco-friendly textiles not just better for the planet, but also more accessible and affordable. Everbloom has raised over $8 million from investors including Hoxton Ventures and SOSV. The company is now focused on scaling its technology and expanding the range of waste materials it can use, with chicken feathers being a key target. The result is a circular model that turns what was once waste into a high-performance, planet-friendly fiber.