ISPO Award Winner 2025: ImNatura by Impetus elevates everyday essentials through biotechnology

Everyday apparel rarely receives the attention reserved for high-performance gear — yet it is precisely here where innovation can create meaningful change. With the ImNatura Wool & Lyocell T-shirt, Impetus introduces a textile rooted in natural comfort and refined through advanced biotechnology. Awarded an ISPO Award 2025, the shirt combines fine wool with renewable Lyocell, creating a breathable, thermoregulating fabric with a smooth, luxurious handfeel. What distinguishes this piece is not only the material blend, but the way it is processed: through the No Petrol platform, which replaces conventional petrochemical treatments with biodegradable, bio-based alternatives. 

For Impetus, the award underscores the strategic significance of this breakthrough. “Winning the ISPO Award is a proud recognition of our commitment to innovation and sustainability. It validates our efforts of research and development to create scalable products that combine premium quality with eco-responsible processes,” says Ricardo Figueiredo, Vice-President Impetus Group. The result is a T-shirt that elevates natural fibres through biotechnology, proving that comfort and responsibility can reinforce each other. 

At the heart of the ImNatura lies a series of integrated No Petrol processes: bio-preparation, bio-dyeing, and bio-softening. Each stage replaces petrochemical auxiliaries with biodegradable compounds while reducing CO₂ emissions, water usage, energy consumption and overall process time. According to Impetus, these steps achieve up to 46% lower environmental impact, based solely on the preparation, dyeing and finishing phases compared to traditional methods. 

This technological shift does more than reduce footprint — it enhances product performance. Bio-dyeing creates rich, nature-inspired colors with high resistance to light, washing and perspiration. Bio-softening, derived from microalgae-based compounds, improves comfort without compromising breathability or skin-friendliness. Because these methods require no changes in machinery, the innovation scales easily, offering retailers a premium product with a strong sustainability narrative and competitive pricing. “It meets the rising demand for sustainable fashion while delivering a compelling story of innovation,” the team explains in the Q&A. The shirt thus becomes an accessible example of how biotechnology can modernize textile manufacturing without adding complexity to production. 

The ImNatura embodies a focused idea: harness biotechnology not as a niche experiment, but as a scalable upgrade to mainstream textile production. Using natural fibres and bio-based processes, Impetus demonstrates how everyday apparel can achieve both premium performance and measurable reductions in environmental impact. “Our product delivers luxurious comfort, vibrant natural colors, and the assurance of eco-friendly processes,” the brand states. The ISPO Award 2025 recognizes this holistic approach — an innovation designed not just to stand out, but to be widely adopted. 

• Wool–Lyocell blend for breathable comfort
• No Petrol bio-prep, bio-dye, bio-soften
• Lower-impact dyeing and finishing
• Durable colour and soft handfeel