Two African innovators have secured places among the Top 20 global finalists of the 2026 Global Change Award, one of the fashion industry’s most influential sustainability challenges, signalling the continent’s growing role in reshaping the future of materials, climate technology and circular manufacturing.
The award, run by the H&M Foundation, supports early-stage innovations designed to decarbonise the fashion and textile industry a sector responsible for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions and nearly 20% of wastewater, according to industry estimates.
This year’s shortlist highlights technologies ranging from carbon-capturing dyes and enzyme-powered recycling systems to artificial intelligence that reduces factory energy use before a single garment is produced.
Among the twenty finalists, two African-led innovations from Tanzania and Uganda have emerged as standout examples of the continent’s growing influence in climate-driven industrial innovation.
Tanzanian Startup Turns Seaweed Into Sustainable Bio-Leather
One of the African finalists is KelTex, founded by Laetus Buberwa and Emeliana Said.
The venture is developing biodegradable bio-leather made from seaweed cultivated along Tanzania’s coastline, offering a potential alternative to fossil-based synthetic leather and resource-intensive animal hides.
KelTex’s process converts marine biopolymers into flexible sheet materials, creating textile-like fabrics that require no land use, freshwater or fossil feedstocks, three of the fashion industry’s most resource-intensive inputs.
Beyond materials innovation, the model integrates AI-enabled sensor systems to optimise seaweed farming conditions, improving yield while supporting local coastal livelihoods.
Announcing the recognition, Buberwa said the selection marked a major milestone for the venture.
“Exciting news – I’m a Top 20 finalist in the Global Change Award 2026,” he said. “With my innovation at KelTex (sustainable seaweed-based bio-leather), I’m hoping to be one of the 10 winners announced in June.”
The development reflects a broader shift across Africa’s blue-economy ecosystem, where marine biomass including seaweed, is increasingly viewed as a scalable raw material for bioplastics, bio-textiles and carbon-negative industrial inputs.
Ugandan Biotechnology Startup Captures Carbon Through Textile Dye
Also representing Africa in the global competition is Living Carbon Capture Dye Systems, led by Ugandan innovator Henry Kavuma.
The company is developing a biologically engineered dyeing process that uses cyanobacteria to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert it into textile dyes transforming one of the fashion industry’s most polluting processes into a potential carbon-negative system.
Traditional dye production is heavily reliant on petrochemicals and toxic compounds. Kavuma’s biotechnology aims to reverse that dynamic.
According to the project description, the system “transforms atmospheric carbon dioxide into vibrant, non-toxic textile dyes while sequestering over 3.7 kilograms of carbon per kilogram of dye produced.”
Kavuma said the innovation targets two of the sector’s most pressing environmental challenges simultaneously.
“With cyanobacteria biotechnology that transforms atmospheric carbon dioxide into vibrant, non-toxic textile dyes while sequestering over 3.7 kg of carbon per kilogram of dye produced, I’m aiming to tackle dual crisis of fashion’s climate emissions and chemical pollution, because reaching net-zero in fashion will require practical, scalable solutions,” he said.
The concept positions dye production not as a source of emissions, but as a carbon-capture mechanism embedded directly into the textile supply chain.
Global Race to Reinvent Fashion
The Global Change Award was created to support entrepreneurs who challenge conventional production models and build systems that benefit both people and the planet.
According to the H&M Foundation, the award “backs bold early-stage ideas, championing changemakers who question existing models and develop solutions that benefit both people and the planet.”
This year’s finalists span four areas of transformation:
- Sustainable Materials and Processes
- Responsible Production
- Mindful Consumption
- Wildcards
Across these categories, innovators are tackling the textile industry’s structural weaknesses including fossil-fuel dependence, inefficient manufacturing, limited recycling capacity and wasteful consumption patterns.
The finalists are now under review by an expert panel, with ten winners of the Global Change Award 2026 to be announced in June.
Africa’s Rising Role in Climate Innovation
The presence of African innovators on the shortlist reflects a broader shift in global sustainability innovation.
Across the continent, a new generation of entrepreneurs is tackling climate challenges through biotechnology, circular manufacturing, renewable materials and AI-driven industrial efficiency.
African startups raised billions in venture capital over the past decade, with climate technology emerging as one of the fastest-growing investment categories. From agritech and renewable energy to sustainable materials, entrepreneurs are increasingly designing solutions that address both local development needs and global environmental challenges.
For innovators such as KelTex and Living Carbon Capture Dye Systems, recognition by the Global Change Award represents more than a competition milestone. It signals that African-led ideas are becoming central to the global search for sustainable industrial systems.
As the fashion industry races to meet net-zero targets and reduce its environmental footprint, the technologies emerging from African laboratories and coastal ecosystems could play a critical role in determining how the next generation of textiles is produced.
The final decision now rests with the award’s expert panel. But regardless of the outcome in June, the presence of African innovators among the global finalists underscores a wider reality. The future of sustainable fashion will increasingly be shaped not only in traditional manufacturing hubs but also in emerging innovation ecosystems across Africa.
