Nettles grow where others won’t.
So do our ideas.
We develop circular solutions that turn nettles into high-value spinnable fibers for textiles. Our approach is rooted in zero-waste thinking: every part of the plant—and every step in our process—is optimized to create value.
Our mission goes beyond material innovation. We build business cases, foster collaborations, and grow a community around this powerful plant. By bridging agriculture and nature, we aim to:
✨ Show the untapped value of under-used native plants
🌿 Shift perceptions from weed to wonder
🎨 Enable regenerative local supply chains
MEET US
Our Team
Iepe Bouw
Founder
Iepe is a student at the AMS Institute, a program in Amsterdam run by Wageningen & Delft University. Outside of studies he is working on the Nettle Project, focussing on regenerative textiles and the multi-valorisation of the Stinging Nettle in combination with Nieuwe Bodem and Achilles and the Tortoise.
Yiran Wei
Co-founder
Yiran is a design researcher with a background in Human–Technology Interaction and apparel design and engineering. Alongside her work in the tech industry, she seeks deeper connections with nature and plant systems. During the Summer School of Regenerative City, she met Iepe and learned about the story of stinging nettles, which is an encounter that sparked her curiosity to explore the hidden value and potential of this overlooked plant.
Bjarne Iemants
Co-founder
Bjarne is a geography teacher in Antwerp. While teaching, he stumbled upon a ‘Did you know that they made clothes from nettles?’ in one of his workbooks. That same summer his passion for the stinging nettle was born. Combined with this background in education, an overload of enthusiasm and a set of technical skills, he pursues the goal to make the stinging nettle great again by pushing the boundaries of this plant. Can we make clothes again? Can it grow on salt water? Can we turn it into a food crop?
JOIN US!
Let’s change the way we see nature—and build the future of textiles from the roots up together.