Katherine Homuth, a Canadian tech entrepreneur, has developed non-rip sheer tights made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene that she claims can last up to 10 times longer than traditional tights. Her company, SRTX, expects to bring in $30 million in revenue for 2024, with plans to expand into sustainable materials beyond tights. The company has raised $143 million in funding and built a new factory in Montreal to meet demand.
Homuth’s goal is to transform SRTX from a consumer-products business to a sustainable materials one. She aims to create new materials that have never been produced before, such as a water-repellant material called Watertex that is free of toxic ‘forever chemicals,’ or PFAS. SRTX’s expansion into other sustainable materials is in response to the billions of pairs of stockings and tights that end up in landfills each year, harming the environment.
While revenue is down from $45 million in 2023, Homuth is optimistic about the future of the company, with plans to rebound to more than $70 million in 2025. She has shifted the business from direct-to-consumer sales to retail partnerships with companies like H&M, Costco, and QVC. Homuth believes this transition is necessary for scalable growth and is working towards producing 30 million pairs of tights by 2027, a 15-fold increase in volume over 2024.
SRTX’s focus on sustainability and innovative materials has attracted investors like H&M, ArcTern Ventures, and Lululemon’s founder Chip Wilson. The company is also developing new technologies, such as a non-toxic water-repellant membrane that could replace PFAS-based coatings. With a growing market for sustainable materials, SRTX is poised to make a significant impact in the fashion industry and beyond.
In addition to expanding its product line to include fishnets and launching a new direct-to-consumer label, Sheertex Studio, SRTX is also working on a recyclable replacement for spandex called Elasta. The company’s partnership with Steve Madden for a collaboration on black tights highlights the durability and sustainability of their products. As Homuth continues to push boundaries in materials innovation, she aims to establish SRTX as a leader in the sustainability industry, akin to the DuPont of sustainable materials.
