Neeka & Leila Mashouf

Neeka and Leila Mashouf are the co-founders of Rubi Labs, a start-up with the objective of converting carbon emissions into textiles. 

With $13.5 million in total funding raised, the Mashouf twins are developing a proprietary textile manufacturing process that combines carbon dioxide with lab-created enzymes in a chemical reactor. The result, according to the company, is a cellulose fibre that can be spun into yarn. The company counts Talis Capital, Patagonia’s Tin Shed Ventures and Ganni founder Nicolaj Reffstrup as investors. 

Since its creation in 2020, Rubi Labs has worked with brands including H&M and Reformation. In August 2023, Rubi started a pilot programme with Walmart, for which it will capture carbon from one of the retailer’s manufacturers and convert it into fabrics, first for a prototype and eventually for a small collection. 

"We're at a pivotal moment in time where mature modern technologies and advances in biotech can meet to build a world where human prosperity and economic growth are planet-positive," Neeka Mashouf said following the start-up’s first fundraise in 2022.