Presstar

PRESSTAR is a de novo impact fund established specifically to address the environmental and social impact of the global textiles industry. Each letter of the name represents a principle which underpins the investment philosophy: Planet • Responsibility • Ethics • Sustainability • Scalability • Traceability • Accountability • Recycle Textile production today is one of the most environmentally detrimental industries globally. Cotton is a major raw material; while natural and renewable, due to the large quantities of fertilizers, pesticides, and water needed for its cultivation, it is an extremely resource-intensive crop. The process of converting raw cotton into yarns, fabrics and garments is water-depleting, while dyestuffs and chemicals pollute water resources and are a major contributor to CO2 emissions. PRESSTAR explicitly seeks to reduce water consumption and chemical pollutants in the textile supply chain while positively impacting CO2 emissions. PRESSTAR investment guidelines will also ensure that fair wages and health and safety practices are in place wherever it invests. Investment Principles Identify assets in the textile manufacturing and distribution space which can benefit from adopting sustainable practices. Ideally these will be existing assets; new projects may be needed where appropriate asset conversion opportunities are unavailable. Acquire (through equity investment, or joint venture models) sufficient stakes in target firms to convert these assets towards production of sustainable textiles which meet globally recognized sustainability criteria. Assemble and deploy textile manufacturing and distribution subject matter experts to implement sustainable textile best practices (with external validation) into portfolio companies to increase ROI and dividends to investors Develop upstream relationships with raw material suppliers and retailers to further progress end-to-end circularity in the textile value chain.