ZERØTEC is a digital platform that supports circular fashion design and manufacturing. It helps designers optimise fabric usage and reduce waste, saving up to 15% more material and two kilos of carbon for every garment.

Nicholas Betts, founder of ZERØTEC, initially began exploring solutions to fabric waste through his retail venture, Zero London. However, it wasn’t until he joined Creative Catalyst – the £30 million funding programme from Innovate UK designed to support high-potential businesses in the UK – that he was able to digitise and scale the analogue processes he had developed in-house, turning them into a digital platform other designers could benefit from.

The Innovate UK support

Without Creative Catalyst’s support, Nicholas explains, ZERØTEC would be a “fundamentally different business”:
“The funding allowed us to develop much of our technology and fully explore our innovations. Without it, we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in today. We’d still be working in analogue, without a user base or any revenue streams,” he said.
Nicholas’s main takeaway from his Creative Catalyst experience is the value of sharing information with other founders and business owners. This information can open new doors and raise awareness of the support that’s on offer.

Nicholas commented: “There are so many opportunities available to us as UK businesses. A lot of founders don’t understand how to best utilise the different kinds of funding and networking events that are available through Innovate UK, so being able to share information and support one another has been really valuable.”

Beyond Funding: Making Overseas Connections

Nicholas has also expanded his reach internationally, thanks to the broader support offered by the Creative Catalyst programme.

He attended Slush in Helsinki in 2023, which was so valuable to the business that Nicholas returned in 2024. He’s also secured ZERØTEC’s first international clients and is now working with partners across the EU, North America and East Asia.

One of the biggest opportunities has been the chance to visit overseas manufacturers and suppliers through Innovate UK’s Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP). Nicholas has been able to gain in-depth market knowledge and make the connections needed for ZERØTEC to scale globally.

The visits have also helped Nicholas to explore how ZERØTEC’s technology could be used in different industries.

“We’ve been to Canada to explore advanced manufacturing, to really understand the potential to apply our technology to other types of manufacturing, such as aviation and automotives. We’re also due to be travelling to Taiwan in March to take our technology further up the fashion supply chain and expand our network in East Asia,” he said.

The future

The team is currently raising a pre-seed round, then plans to scale up the team and grow the business on a global scale. Long term, ZERØTEC wants to be recognised as an industry leader in efficient technologies.

Nicholas said: “We’ve already found success with leading high street retailers, helping them to achieve more circular manufacturing and save a lot of money and carbon in the process. We’re looking to replicate that in other industries, where there’s the potential for a much greater impact.”