Fundraising open · 2025–2026

The fabric of fashion
needs to change.
So does how we fund it.

Aura Woven is developing a smart textile that consumers can reprogram digitally — eliminating the need to manufacture new garments every time style or function changes. We are at a critical early stage, and we need research partners and public supporters to get there.

Research funding targetRaising now
4 yrs
Research timeline
3 sectors
Fashion · Health · Sport
UK-led
Made in Britain

"One fabric. Infinite wardrobes. Zero extra garments."

Aura Woven · Smart Textile Research

The Project

A new textile with loadable data.

Aura Woven is a research project exploring a new class of textile capable of receiving, storing and responding to loadable digital data. Instead of remaining a fixed material, the fabric is conceived as a programmable interface—one that can adapt its appearance, behaviour or function through a connected digital layer.

The project is led by Quince Land Art Ltd, an innovation and technology research company developing new relationships between material science, computation and responsible design. Its purpose is to turn this textile concept into a testable, protected and commercially viable technology.

Material researchLoadable dataTechnology development
Why funding is critical

This technology won't build itself — and the window is now

We are at the pre-commercial research stage. The concept is proven in principle, but the hard work of materials science, AI integration, and sustainable manufacturing process design still lies ahead. That work requires real resources.

Smart textile research is capital-intensive and time-sensitive. Without adequate funding in this early phase, the intellectual property, the talent, and the momentum will not survive long enough to reach commercialisation.

Public funding bodies have validated the significance of this research area. We are now building the matched funding that unlocks the full programme — and every contribution, at every level, directly accelerates that.

The cost of waiting

Early-stage research that loses momentum rarely recovers. The window to establish foundational IP in smart textiles is open now. It will not remain open indefinitely as larger players move into this space.

Prototype development

Building and testing smart fabric prototypes in accredited labs requires specialist materials — biodegradable conductive threads, photonic components, and micro-sensors — none of which are off-the-shelf.

→ Funds lab testing & material procurement

AI algorithm development

The digital customisation layer requires bespoke AI development — software that can interpret user input and send real-time instructions to the fabric. This is specialist engineering that must be built from scratch.

→ Funds software engineering & UX design

IP protection & patents

Without patents filed at the right time, the innovations developed here become freely available to copy. Protecting the IP is not optional — it is what makes the long-term commercial return possible.

→ Funds patent filing & legal compliance

Research team & expertise access

Bringing in the right specialists — from materials scientists to sustainability engineers — and accessing leading academic institutions requires funding that basic organisational resources cannot cover alone.

→ Funds expert collaboration & mentorship
Your contribution

What your support directly enables

Every contribution goes into the research programme. Choose a level to see exactly what it funds.

£50+
Research Backer
Covers the cost of a week's supply of specialist conductive thread material for prototype testing — the physical building block of everything we are developing.
£1,000+
Innovation Supporter
Funds a full day of accredited lab testing for a smart fabric prototype — the independent validation that proves the material performs to specification.
£5,000+
Development Partner
Covers a month of AI algorithm development work — the software layer that turns the smart fabric from a material curiosity into a user-controlled product.
Express interest in contributing We will contact you with next steps.
Projected impact

What success looks like — for everyone

These are projected outcomes based on our research modelling. We flag them transparently as estimates, not guarantees — and we commit to publishing verified results as the research progresses.
~30%
projected reduction in textile waste per garment lifecycle
~25%
projected reduction in carbon footprint vs conventional garments
~50%
projected reduction in water use by eliminating re-dyeing cycles
£3B
global smart fabric market projected by 2030

All figures are projected estimates requiring independent verification. We recommend consulting primary sources before citing them.

Build with us

We are actively seeking research and manufacturing partners

Universities & Research Organisations

Join the research network

We are looking to establish formal collaborations with institutions working in smart materials, sustainable textiles, AI in wearables, and circular design. We bring an applied industry problem; you bring rigour and infrastructure.

  • Co-authorship opportunities on smart textile publications
  • Access to industry data and prototype testing results
  • Joint grant applications leveraging matched industry funding
  • PhD and postdoctoral placement opportunities within the programme
  • Aligned with UKRI and Innovate UK sustainability research priorities
Enquire about research partnership
Textile Manufacturers

Be part of what comes next

We need manufacturing partners with capability in advanced textile production, sustainable material processing, and electronics integration. Early partners shape how this technology scales — and benefit commercially from that position.

  • First-mover access to smart fabric manufacturing processes
  • Co-development of scalable UK production methods
  • Commercial licensing discussions for manufacturing rights
  • Contribution to shaping sustainability standards for the sector
  • Supply chain partnership for eco-certified material sourcing
Enquire about manufacturing partnership
The vision

Fashion that costs the planet less — without asking consumers to sacrifice more

The Aura Woven project starts with a base material. But the goal is a fundamental shift in how clothing works — where a garment is a platform, not a disposable product, and where sustainability is built into the fabric itself, not marketed as an add-on.

"We are not making smarter clothes. We are making the last clothes people need to buy to keep their wardrobe fresh."

This is a four-year research programme. It will not be fast, and we will not pretend it is simple. But the outcome — a genuinely reprogrammable textile that reduces waste at the source — is worth building carefully.