capacura invests in upcycling start-up MOOT

Sustainable, creative, scalable: upcycling startup MOOT shows how high-quality fashion can be produced locally from used textiles.

Cologne/Berlin, May 15, 2025 - Cologne-based impact investment company capacura GmbH has announced an investment in MOOT Upcycling GmbH. Founded in Berlin in 2020, the start-up develops sustainable fashion from discarded textiles and pursues the goal of making the textile industry more ecologically and socially sustainable with its business model. With this investment, capacura is once again underlining its focus on start-ups with added social value - particularly in the areas of the environment, education and health.

Sustainable fashion made from textile waste

MOOT (short for Made Out Of Trash) produces clothing and accessories made exclusively from used textiles. The products are made locally, are manufactured fairly and are always unique thanks to the recycling process. The company sources the processed textiles from GeoTex in Lower Saxony, ALTA West in Thuringia and the German Clothing Foundation, among others.

In addition to traditional sales via its own sales channels, MOOT also offers companies individual upcycling services, e.g. for the recycling of used uniforms, advertising materials or work clothing. This model, known as "Upcycling-as-a-Service", has already been implemented for customers such as the DHL Group and the German Football Association (DFB).

Strong founders with industry experience

MOOT was founded by Nils Neubauer and Michael Pfeifer. Neubauer is a fashion designer with experience from the Berlin fashion scene. He focused early on circular design and sustainable production methods. Pfeifer is a business economist with experience from start-ups and consulting projects and is responsible for strategic and economic corporate management at MOOT.

MOOT has received several awards for its work, most recently the Circular Fashion Fund 2025 and as the most innovative company in the field of the textile circular economy by eBay and the Fashion Council Germany.

Combining impact and return on investment

capacura pursues an innovative impact investment model that combines economic returns with social benefits. The investment company also enables small investors to invest from 1,000 euros in selected impact start-ups. To select suitable companies, capacura relies on a mixture of AI-supported analysis, digitalized review processes and its own investment team.

The company offers a forward-looking solution to an urgent problem in the textile industry and shows how a genuine circular economy can work.

Dr. Ingo Dahm, CEO Capacura

With this investment, capacura is not only strengthening a fast-growing start-up, but also sending a clear signal for the promotion of sustainable production in the textile industry. The demand for solutions to reduce textile waste and conserve resources is increasing.