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AFFOA Names The Lycra Company, Gentex Corporation, Ecotune, and Macrocycle Technologies as Awardees in its Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics Program

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Four awardees will receive no-cost access to AFFOA’s expertise, prototyping, testing, and scale-up capabilities to accelerate advanced textile innovations from lab to market.

BEDFORD, Mass., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AFFOA (Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, Inc.) announced today that The Lycra Company, Gentex Corporation, Ecotune and MacroCycle Technologies have been selected as awardees in the third round of its Product Accelerator for Functional Fabrics (PAFF 3.0) program. The goal of the PAFF 3.0 program is to address critical technical and manufacturing challenges by providing no-cost access to AFFOA’s engineering experts, prototyping and testing facilities, manufacturing scale-up capabilities and domestic supply chain network to improve manufacturability and accelerate time to market.

“The caliber of proposals we received for this round of PAFF was remarkable, and selecting just four awardees was no easy task,” said AFFOA CEO Sasha Stolyarov, Ph.D. “What stood out about The Lycra Company, Gentex Corporation, Ecotune, and MacroCycle was their shared commitment to solving real manufacturing challenges — faster development cycles, improving production efficiency and quality, and scaling more sustainable, high-performance materials. Bridging that gap between innovation and real-world manufacturing is at the heart of what AFFOA does, and we are excited to bring our technical expertise to bear on each of these projects.”

The Lycra Company, a global leader in fiber innovation, will partner with AFFOA to integrate virtual garment prototyping into its product development process. In the realms of activewear, athleisure, and performance apparel, physical fit trials traditionally drive validation and are often accompanied by two to three months of lead time. Through PAFF 3.0, The Lycra Company will leverage AFFOA’s digital engineering expertise to evaluate and validate three-dimensional garment simulation software for close-to-body applications such as leggings and sports bras. This initiative will supplement live wear trials and accelerate product development and reduce time to market by enabling more rapid, accurate virtual fit and performance assessments. “This partnership with AFFOA connects what we engineer at the fiber level with what consumers experience at the garment level,” said Molly Fulin, Product Category Director – Knits, The LYCRA Company. “By exploring how advanced digital prototyping can reflect the stretch and recovery of materials, we have the opportunity to enhance how we develop, validate, and bring high-performance solutions to market.”

Gentex Corporation, a longtime leader in protective helmet manufacturing for the U.S. Department of War, will receive AFFOA’s assistance in maturing an automation solution for sewing operations. Currently, Gentex produces thousands of helmets per month across its US facilities.  Each helmet requires products sewn individually by an operator — a process that is both repetitive and time consuming.  Through PAFF 3.0, AFFOA will help advance prototype solutions through larger scale implementations for application across all Gentex sewing cells, driving efficiency, consistency, and worker safety. “The PAFF program is more than a path to automation for Gentex, it is an opportunity to improve safety, efficiency, and consistency across our manufacturing operations. By advancing this technology with AFFOA, we can better support our workforce while maintaining the uncompromising quality and reliability that the U.S. warfighter expects from every Gentex helmet.” Mike Turek, Chief Operating Officer, Gentex Corporation.

Ecotune, a material innovation startup, will leverage AFFOA’s expertise to accelerate the commercialization of its fully bio-based, plastic-free textile coatings designed to replace high-carbon footprint materials like polyurethane and PVC. Backed by five years of NSF- and EPA-supported research, Ecotune has created a USDA-certified, 100% bio-based coating technology that meets or exceeds key performance metrics — including tensile strength, flex resistance, and abrasion resistance — while achieving projected price parity with conventional coatings. Through PAFF 3.0, Ecotune will draw on AFFOA’s knowledge in manufacturing scale-up, process development and the textile supply chain to assess the technology’s drop-in compatibility with existing textile manufacturing infrastructure and conduct roll-to-roll pilot scale trials. The project is expected to validate a scalable pathway to commercialization and enable broader adoption of an innovative bio-based coating technology. “Scaling up is vital to bringing innovation to the market and Ecotune having access to the resources of AFFOA will get us there faster and more economically.” said Ella Csuka, Founder of Ecotune.

MacroCycle Technologies, a hard tech startup developing a breakthrough textile-to-textile recycling platform, will collaborate with AFFOA to accelerate the commercial readiness of its SolvoGenesis™ platform, which converts post-consumer polyester waste into virgin-quality recycled polyester resin using over 80% less energy than conventional PET production. With global polyester fiber production exceeding 70 million tons annually and less than one percent currently recycled, MacroCycle’s breakthrough chemistry purifies and upgrades polyester without degrading performance. Through PAFF 3.0, AFFOA will apply its expertise in textile manufacturing, testing and evaluation, and domestic supply chain development to produce commercial-grade fabric swatches from recycled PET, validate textile-level performance, and connect MacroCycle with domestic supply chain partners, ultimately accelerating market adoption of textile-to-textile recycling technologies and strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities. “We’re excited to partner with AFFOA and leverage their deep expertise in knitting and weaving to take our MacroTEX resin + yarns to the next level by crafting fabrics for our customers – a critical step in our scaling journey to bring energy- and cost-efficient T2T textiles to major domestic and global markets.” Jan-Georg Rosenboom, Ph.D., MacroCycle Co-founder & CTO.

PAFF 3.0 advances AFFOA’s mission of accelerating technology maturation and strengthening domestic supply chain resilience by helping companies overcome barriers to commercialization through access to world-class technical expertise and manufacturing resources. Collectively, these awardees reflect the breadth and ambition of what is possible when industry expertise meets AFFOA’s hands-on support — and the critical role advanced textiles will play in the future of U.S manufacturing.

About AFFOA:
Advanced Functional Fabrics of America (AFFOA) is a nonprofit innovation organization and a Manufacturing USA Institute accelerating textile technology and manufacturing breakthroughs that safeguard the nation, advance industry, and improve quality of life. AFFOA fulfills its mission by (1) advancing transformative technologies, (2) connecting a dynamic domestic advanced Fabric Innovation Network, and (3) inspiring and educating the workforce of the future. Through its role as a trusted convener, engineering collaborator, and technology development partner, AFFOA brings together industry, academia, startups, and government to accelerate the commercialization and adoption of advanced fiber fabric-enabled solutions. Discover more at affoa.org.

About The Lycra Company:

The LYCRA Company innovates and produces fiber and technology solutions for the apparel and personal care industries and owns the leading consumer brands: LYCRA®, LYCRA HyFit®, LYCRA® T400®, COOLMAX®, THERMOLITE®, ELASPAN®, SUPPLEX® and TACTEL®. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., The LYCRA Company is recognized worldwide for its sustainable products, technical expertise, and marketing support. The LYCRA Company focuses on adding value to its customers’ products by developing unique innovations designed to meet the consumer’s need for comfort and lasting performance. Learn more at thelycracompany.com  

About the Gentex Corporation:

With a history of innovation that spans for 130 years, Gentex Corporation is a leading supplier of products that advance personal protection and situational awareness for global defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel operating in high-performance environments. Our portfolio includes helmet system platforms, hearing protection and communications products, and capability upgrades for defense and security forces sold under the Gentex and Ops-Core brands, as well as PureFlo industrial respiratory protection systems. Privately held, Gentex is headquartered in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and supports its global customers through a worldwide distributor network and facilities in the U.S., the U.K., and Australia. Learn more at www.gentexcorp.com.

About Ecotune:

Ecotune is a California-based material innovation company developing bio-based textile coatings to replace petroleum-derived polyurethanes with non-toxic and renewable alternatives. Backed by five years of NSF- and EPA-supported research and development, Ecotune has created a technology platform for UDSA-certified 100% bio-based coatings that meet and exceed key performance metrics across strength, flexibility, and durability. Ecotune’s innovative textiles can be used across fashion, footwear, interior design, and automotive applications with projected lower cost at scale compared to polyurethane.

About the MacroCycle Technologies:

MacroCycle is an MIT startup that unlocks domestic lowest-cost, high-value textile fiber manufacturing from abundant waste resources. MacroCycle’s patented “SolvoGenesis” process uses highly selective chemistry that is able to separate waste polymers and upgrade them directly without the expensive breakdown process most other companies follow, making it 80% more energy-efficient than traditional PET resin production. Their success has been covered by TechCrunch, Forbes and recycling outlets, and they are working with various major supply chain partners to bring T2T recycled textiles to the market.

Contact Information:
AFFOA
Joshua Rapoza
Director of Marketing and Communications
508.558.6682
jrapoza@affoa.org 

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SOURCE AFFOA

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Akemona Launches CapMark™ AI Agent as Part of Its AI Investment Banker Platform

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FULLERTON, Calif., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Akemona today announced the launch of CapMark™ AI Agent, an AI-powered product that helps investment banks, asset managers, broker-dealers, and businesses create and organize digital asset offerings for raising funds and issuing tokenized products such as fractionalized stocks, tokenized funds, and options. CapMark AI Agent is available as part of Akemona’s AI Investment Banker for Digital Assets platform, which Akemona provides to financial institutions and businesses as a white-label subscription service.

The launch of CapMark AI Agent arrives amid significant regulatory and market momentum. The SEC is currently advancing a landmark shift for tokenization by exploring an Innovation Exemption—including the proposed repeal of core Regulation NMS rules—to permit third parties to tokenize U.S. stocks without issuer approval, paving the way for 24/7 global trading on blockchain rails. This regulatory tailwind aligns with massive existing demand. According to CoinMarketCap data, the market capitalization for tokenized stocks already exceeds $6.4 billion.

CapMark AI Agent automates the offering creation process, including issuer due diligence, offering structure analysis, regulatory document preparation, bookbuilding, and workflow coordination. CapMark is the AI automation engine of the Akemona platform, which includes Akemona’s Tokenization Cloud, Issuer Hub, Investor Portal, Admin Console, Escrow Manager, and OnchainTA digital transfer agent. It enables businesses and financial institutions to create, launch, manage, and service digital asset offerings through one integrated system.

The launch of CapMark AI Agent reflects Akemona’s strategy of integrating artificial intelligence and digital asset infrastructure to modernize capital markets. Traditional investment banking processes remain manual and costly, with fragmented workflows across attorneys, lead managers, underwriters, and compliance teams. CapMark AI Agent is built to reduce these inefficiencies by bringing intelligent reasoning, step-by-step workflow automation, and compliant outreach into one digital asset offering platform.

Alex de Lorraine, Chief Executive Officer of Akemona, said, “CapMark AI Agent represents an important step toward the automation of investment banking functions for the digital asset economy. Financial institutions are looking for tools that reduce manual work, improve consistency, and help them launch compliant digital asset products to market faster. With CapMark, Akemona provides institutions and businesses with an AI-powered system that supports offering creation—from the earliest structuring stage through investor-ready documentation—to raise funds and launch tokenized financial products.”

CapMark AI Agent is powered by leading foundational AI models integrated with Akemona’s Tokenization Cloud, which provides the infrastructure layer for digital asset issuance, investor workflows, compliance controls, escrow services, and digital asset lifecycle management. By combining CapMark AI Agent with Akemona’s existing applications, including Issuer Hub, Investor Portal, Admin Console, Escrow Manager, and OnchainTA, financial institutions and businesses can use one platform to create, launch, manage, and service digital asset offerings.

A key strength of the Akemona platform is its ability to use publicly available AI models and blockchains while ensuring the privacy of relevant and privileged information. It achieves this by removing chat logs after 30 days and ensuring no personal information is maintained on the blockchain. Furthermore, the Akemona platform works with private blockchains, anonymizing and obfuscating privileged information whenever it communicates with public systems. Information in its off-chain databases is maintained for six years to ensure compliance with SEC regulations.

Ravi Srivastava, Chief Product Officer of Akemona, explained, “CapMark AI Agent helps one person create and organize a digital asset offering end-to-end, while keeping the process structured and auditable. Our goal is to make digital asset offering creation more efficient for investment banks, asset managers, and businesses.”

CapMark AI Agent assists financial institutions and businesses with evaluating different structuring options for digital asset offerings, preparing market-ready materials, and coordinating the launch process. It is designed to support regulated capital markets use cases, including fundraising, tokenized securities, tokenized funds, real-world assets, stablecoin-enabled settlement, and other blockchain-native financial products.

Brady Matthews, Chief Technology Officer of Akemona, added, “CapMark AI Agent is built on Akemona’s deep experience in tokenization, smart contracts, regulatory workflows, and digital asset lifecycle management. By connecting AI-driven offering automation with our Tokenization Cloud, we are creating a powerful foundation for institutions that want to build digital asset products with security, configurability, and compliance in mind.”

Akemona believes capital markets infrastructure is entering a new phase. The pipes of capital markets are gradually being rewired with blockchain-based digital rails, while artificial intelligence is creating the opportunity to automate due diligence, underwriting, offering creation, bookbuilding, subscriptions, and post-subscription services. CapMark AI Agent is the first step in Akemona’s larger vision of building an AI Investment Banking Platform for programmable digital assets.

This vision points toward what Akemona calls Autonomous Wall Street—a future in which digital asset offerings can be created, launched, managed, and serviced through AI-driven, regulation-compliant infrastructure. As tokenization expands across securities, funds, structured products, commodities, real-world assets, and stablecoin-based settlement, Akemona is building the technology foundation for autonomous capital markets.

Media Contact
Email: info@akemona.com

About Akemona
Akemona is a fintech company focused on creating secure, regulation-compliant, and scalable digital asset infrastructure with AI-automated workflows for capital markets. Its comprehensive suite—including Tokenization Cloud, CapMark AI Agent, Issuer Hub, Investor Portal, Admin Console, Escrow Manager, and OnchainTA—enables financial institutions and businesses to efficiently create, manage, and service digital assets to raise funds and introduce new products with confidence. Akemona is pioneering the convergence of tokenization and artificial intelligence to power the next generation of regulated financial markets.

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SOURCE Akemona, Inc.

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Marquis Who’s Who Honors Michael J. Lawless for Expertise in Digital Growth

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UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marquis Who’s Who honors Michael J. Lawless for his work as a partner and managing director at Alvarez & Marsal. With more than 30 years of experience in consulting, business strategy and digital transformation, Mr. Lawless helps organizations across industries discover new revenue streams through technology.

Data-Driven Business Solutions

Mr. Lawless leads as senior director at A&Mplify, Alvarez & Marsal’s Washington-based digital agency. In his position, he focuses on helping businesses strengthen revenue growth, improve customer engagement and create new value through data-driven solutions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a primary driver in consulting and business strategy. As a result, AI is the power behind A&Mplify. “I’m focused on growth and revenue, so I view AI and agentic approaches as more than tools for immediate cost savings, like replacing people with bots that cut expenses. I see them as a whole new set of capabilities,” Mr. Lawless says. The technology enables companies to expand options and pursue growth opportunities during economic uncertainty.

Moreover, Mr. Lawless views AI as a productivity multiplier that helps teams test and execute ideas more efficiently. “AI significantly shortens processes and allows your existing team to be more productive,” he says. “That’s how you extract value from AI.”

A Career Spanning Across Industries

Before joining Alvarez & Marsal in 2021, Mr. Lawless spent more than a decade working for Accenture. There, he served as managing director and design lead at Accenture Interactive and later as managing director of the digital studio at Accenture Federal Services. He began his career at Coca-Cola North America in 1989 and later worked in leadership positions at AOL and SunEdison.

Across these roles, Mr. Lawless guided teams in launching new products and services, managing profit and loss responsibilities and designing customer-focused strategies. His career includes significant work with consumer analytics, large-scale solution design and marketing strategy.

Strategic Partnership Development

Mr. Lawless is currently advancing a collaboration with an SI (Systems Integrator). The aim is to build growth strategies and revenue opportunities for client organizations. The partnership pairs his team’s expertise in business case development with the integrator’s technical capabilities in custom software development and technology implementation.

Rising interest rates, higher capital costs and shifting policies create challenges and opportunities during market volatility. Financially stable companies can benefit by making smart investments. Mr. Lawless explores how commercial, nonprofit and government organizations manage disruption and adapt to these changing circumstances. “All of this ties into my focus on generating new revenue streams and navigating growth amid these challenges,” he says.

Advanced Business Expertise

Mr. Lawless earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration in marketing and international business from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Pi Theta honor societies.

Among his professional highlights, Mr. Lawless cites his work with the U.S. Marshals Service. In that capacity, he helped develop large-scale frameworks to support the agency’s operations. He also created systems to improve consumer analytics. This development enabled organizations to better understand customer behavior and strengthen their decision-making.

Mentorship, Volunteer Work and Client Outcomes

Outside of his professional commitments, Mr. Lawless served as a board member and mentor for the Cappies of the National Capital Area for more than 10 years. It’s an initiative that supports young people in the arts. He also volunteered for Odyssey of the Mind for nearly a decade by encouraging creative problem-solving among students. In his personal life, he’s the father of two children.

In the next five years, Mr. Lawless intends to expand the potential of A&Mplify. His vision is to combine corporate restructuring and growth strategies to help clients position themselves for success during economic instability. By identifying stable organizations ready to invest, he seeks to drive measurable outcomes that create lasting business value.

About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms worldwide. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

Marquis Who’s Who
Uniondale, NY
(844) 394 – 6946
info@marquiswhoswho.com
www.marquiswhoswho.com

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Crown Capital Announces Agreement to Sell Galaxy Broadband Communications to Calian

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CALGARY, AB, June 25, 2026 /CNW/ – Crown Capital Partners Inc. (“Crown” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: CRWN) today announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement (the “Galaxy Transaction”) to sell all of the issued and outstanding shares of its subsidiary, Galaxy Broadband Communications Inc. (“Galaxy”), to Calian Group Ltd. (TSX: CGY) (“Calian”). Galaxy is a Canadian leader in satellite communications and remote connectivity solutions. Completion of the Galaxy Transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the approval of the holders of Crown’s outstanding 12% Senior Secured Debentures (TSX: CRWN.NT) (the “Debentureholders”), as described below.

Transaction Terms

Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, total consideration payable to Crown and its subsidiaries is up to $51.5 million, comprised of:

$24.0 million payable in cash at closing, subject to a 1 year, 10% holdback to deal with post closing adjustments if any; andup to an additional $27.5 million in consideration payable over the three years following closing subject to the financial performance of Galaxy.

The Galaxy Transaction is expected to close in August 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions and the approval of Crown’s Debentureholders. There can be no assurance that the Galaxy Transaction will be completed on the terms described herein, or at all.

About Galaxy Broadband

Founded by Rick Hodgkinson, one of Canada’s satellite pioneers, Galaxy Broadband delivers secure and resilient communications and connectivity solutions to government, defense, critical infrastructure and remote community customers across Canada. Galaxy is a recognized provider of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, private wireless and multi-orbit connectivity solutions, supporting organizations operating in some of Canada’s most remote and challenging environments, including Northern Canada.

Management Commentary

“The sale of Galaxy Broadband to Calian represents an important step in our previously announced strategy to realize value from Crown’s assets and strengthen the Corporation’s financial position,” said Chris Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown. “Calian is a strong, well-capitalized acquirer whose space and defense focus is an excellent fit for Galaxy’s team, customers and capabilities. We believe this transaction delivers a compelling outcome for our stakeholders, and we look forward to seeking the support of our Debentureholders as we move toward completion.”

Debentureholder Approval and Meeting

Completion of the Galaxy Transaction is conditional upon, among other things, the approval of Crown’s Debentureholders. Crown intends to seek that approval at a meeting of Debentureholders (the “Meeting”) to be called for that purpose.

In connection with the Meeting, Crown intends to prepare and file a management information circular (the “Circular”) containing details of the Galaxy Transaction and the matters to be considered at the Meeting. Crown expects to file and mail the Circular in the coming days, with the Meeting expected to be held by the end of August 2026. Further details regarding the Meeting, including the record date and voting procedures, will be set out in the Circular and accompanying materials when they are made available. This news release does not constitute a solicitation of any vote or approval.

Use of Proceeds

Crown intends to apply the net proceeds of the Galaxy Transaction to the repayment of its senior credit facility and senior subordinated debentures, to pay the interest which was due on December 31, 2025 on its Debentures, and to fund other obligations of the Corporation. The additional consideration payable in future years, together with activities to maximize the value of remaining assets, is expected to provide liquidity to satisfy other obligations of the Corporation and to realize value for shareholders.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain “forward looking statements” and certain “forward looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may”, “will”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “plans” or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements, management’s beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding the expected timing and completion of the Galaxy Transaction, the receipt of Debentureholder approval, regulatory and other approvals, the timing for filing and mailing of the Circular and holding of the Meeting, the amount and timing of consideration to be received, the use of proceeds, and the Corporation’s strategy, liquidity and restructuring objectives. Forward-looking statements are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors identified in the Crown’s periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. See Crown’s most recent annual information form for a detailed discussion of the risk factors affecting Crown. Crown undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management’s best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

SOURCE Crown Capital Partners Inc.

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