41. Fibe Fibe is developing eco-friendly fibres from potato waste – offering a sustainable alternative to conventional textiles. Written by Helena Young Sponsored by Sage Published on January 12, 2026 About the Startups 100 Now in its 18th year, the Startups 100 is the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses. There's no fee for entry or for inclusion in our index. The Startups team of new business experts judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index. Tech Award Nominee In recognition of the inventors that are boldly going where no startup has gone before to create new, groundbreaking technologies. Go to award Founders: Idan Gal-Shohet, David Prior Hope, Premal Gadhia, and Bianka Hazel GondaYear founded: 2022Website: FibeHave you ever worn clothes made from potatoes? It might sound bizarre, but Fibe is proving it’s possible by turning potato waste into sustainable fibres that can be used just like regular fabric.The fashion and textile industry relies heavily on materials like cotton and polyester, which aren’t exactly gentle on the planet. Cotton, for example, needs huge amounts of water and other natural resources just to produce. But where do potatoes come into this?While studying at Imperial College, founder Idan Gal-Shohet discovered that materials played a big role in how sustainable a product is.And when a team member noticed how tall and robust a potato plant grew, Gal-Shohet realised that this natural strength could be the key to making strong and eco-friendly materials. From there, he and his team started Fibe as their final-year master’s project, before taking the idea to the market.Being a group of fresh graduates with little industry experience, the Fibe team initially found it difficult to gain credibility. But through building partnerships from the ground up – along with relentless networking and technology de-risking – they soon proved that their sustainable potato-based materials could work at scale.“Our proprietary, low-impact technology is the core advantage: it uses 99% less water and creates 82% less CO2 than cotton,” explains Gal-Shohet. “Since our process involves unique, complex engineering and patented technology, it is cumbersome for competitors to replicate.”Fibe’s resilience and strong mission saw the company crowned as the winner of Fashion District’s Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge award in 2024. It also won the Innovation Award at the PETA Fashion Awards in the same year. Our proprietary, low-impact technology is the core advantage. The Startups judges also loved Fibe’s forward-thinking and commitment to sustainability, earning them a nomination for the Startups 100 2026 Technology Award. Looking ahead, Fibe’s team is set for a future full of growth and sustainable impact. With a focus on core development and proving its concept in the market, the company plans to build brand partnerships and secure long-term supply chain deals – helping its products reach more people and pushing its ambitious mission further.View the full Startups 100 Index for 20261. Omnea2. HIVED3. MAGIC AI4. OXCCU5. Lightyear6. Neuranics 7. Hormona8. Burbank9. Better Dairy 10. Lenkie Technologies11. Userled12. Hoxton Farms13. Rensair14. PulpaTronics15. TradeKart16. 32Co17. Carmoola18. cheqd19. Sightline Analytics20. Adamo Foods21. Bold Bean Co22. Beams Renovation 23. Pan Galactic24. Capi Money25. Spotted Zebra26. ANTHROTEK 27. Unravel28. Perci Health29. Untap Health30. Hair Syrup31. Connect Earth 32. spacebands 33. Unfabled34. Lightning Reach35. STOCKED36. Embeddable37. XR Therapeutics38. Literal Labs39. Scooch40. Openr41. Fibe Limited42. Inicio AI43. Peachies44. Better Nature 45. Ctrl Alt46. Resting Reef47. Nila48. ROXFIT49. Finmile50. NavLive51. Volunteero52. Inntelo AI53. Zonova54. A&B Smart Materials55. Ethicronics56. Treeapp57. kennek58. Soil Benchmark59. Vox Aeris60. Asan Cup61. Nuuri62. Mindstone63. MYNDUP64. Enbiosis Biotechnology65. JUX Food66. Danu Robotics67. Wylde Market68. Air Aware Labs69. Mimicrete Ltd70. ALYVE71. Happl72. Living Things73. Grub Club Pets74. Mealia75. PetProov76. Lylo Products77. Chest78. ZIM Connections79. Uptime Labs80. Teal81. Zero Fintech82. Micro Thermal Energy 83. Kanjo 84. Merlin Cloud85. My Skin Feels86. Eleria87. Cashblack88. RevvedUp89. Cosysense90. SuperFi91. Loom92. Legacy Compass93. Meshed94. SWURF95. Main Squeeze96. Sampl Technologies97. Over the Moo98. Pioneering People99. Bikebook100. Recondition Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags 2026 Written by: Helena Young Deputy Editor Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That's one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses. Sponsored by: Sage Startups 100 Index Sponsor 2026 Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.