emborado joins the Stoff im Kopf Textile Accelerator – Kick-off in Reutlingen

emborado joins the Stoff im Kopf Textile Accelerator – Kick-off in Reutlingen

From Münster to Reutlingen. Quite a journey. Definitely worth it.

We are proud to be part of the 13th batch of the Stoff im Kopf Textile Accelerator, organized by the Center for Entrepreneurship at Reutlingen University. The program supports startups focusing on textiles, innovation, sustainability, and smart textiles. Exactly the environment in which we aim to further develop emborado in the long term.

Connecting with innovative textile startups

As with any great accelerator, the first days were all about getting to know the other teams. The exchange was open, inspiring, and surprisingly diverse.

We were especially happy to reconnect with Alexander from Sizeless, whom we had already met at previous events. Sizeless develops growing children’s shoes. A clever and sustainable concept that shows how product design and resource efficiency can go hand in hand.

The other teams were equally impressive:

• Amelie Hansel with RCKTCRW, rethinking functional running socks
• Projects developing microbial dyes derived from chemical waste
• Additional textile innovations with very different technological approaches

The thematic range clearly demonstrated how much momentum and innovative potential currently exists in the textile industry, despite the significant challenges the sector is facing.

Insights into textile production

Beyond networking, we gained valuable technical insights. We visited the textile laboratories at Reutlingen University and, the following day, toured Groz-Beckert, a global leader in knitting, sewing, and embroidery needles.

For us, much of this was completely new territory.

For example, we had not fully realized that there are different types of knitting machines, such as flat knitting and circular knitting machines. Or that there are highly specialized machines dedicated solely to producing socks. Seeing these industrial systems in action makes it clear how complex and precise modern textile manufacturing truly is.

These insights help us better understand the environment in which our users operate every day.

Why this matters for emborado

Even though we come from a software background, we are building a platform for people who work with textiles on a daily basis. Anyone who wants to improve the digital management of embroidery files should understand how textile products are created, processed, and refined.

The accelerator helps us further strengthen this bridge between digital infrastructure and real-world textile practice.

We are excited about the upcoming months, the workshops, mentoring sessions, and deeper industry insights. And we look forward to gradually integrating what we learn into the further development of emborado.

Our conclusion: The kick-off in Reutlingen was inspiring, educational, and motivating. The perfect start to an exciting accelerator journey.