OEN NewsHow St3ms created a natural fiber supply chain that benefits people, planet, and products
Where many people see waste, Chase Kahmann sees opportunity.
Bananas, one of the most produced fruits in the world, require trimming after harvesting. This produces a significant amount of material that is underutilized, creating major waste. But what if those humble banana pseudo stems could eventually be as big an industry as cotton – and produce drinking water in the process, instead of just consuming?
After over a decade in the sports apparel space, Kahmann was ready to explore these questions. Kahmann has been an extreme sports enthusiast since childhood and found the world of apparel innovation a natural fit. Alumnus of both Nike and Columbia, he’s worked in sustainability and innovation, experimented with every material but leather and seen a number of supposed cotton alternatives over the years.
“Every single one felt more like silk, which, while nice, isn’t what’s needed in many applications,” he says.
But on one project, Kahmann got to hold banana fiber made from banana stems in India, and a new door of opportunity opened.
“That was the “aha!” moment,” he says. “I held it and thought, ‘this is cotton.’ Someone needs to scale this for the industry.”
It was here that St3ms was born, a natural fiber company built on the “Rule of One:” one planet, one crop and one goal, creating fiber that benefits the global population. Kahmann and the St3ms team have a strong background in the supply chain and kicked off research in 2020 by spending a year in India. Here, they dove deep into individual parts of the supply chain, conducting anthropological studies and meeting directly with banana farmers. Ensuring no negative impact was of utmost importance, and the team’s time in India gave them the tools to build a company with a positive focus.
Next, Kahmann headed to Guatemala. Another year was spent integrating with banana producers here, innovating how to create a true banana fiber supply chain. This work included government relations with both the US and Guatemala, and St3ms was able to establish their first facility trial in 2022 and begin iterating their state-of-the-art technology.
“It’s been a snowball running downhill ever since,” says Kahmann. “We’re now scaling the world’s first performance plant fiber.”
St3ms now produces Evo3 yarn, where banana fibers aren’t just added, “they drive performance,” Kahmann says. Spun for strength, comfort and durability, Evo3 is built for modern yarn systems.
The company has built a unique supply chain where St3ms purchases banana pseudo stem waste. Fiber is derived from this material, a process that produces drinking water and energy. The banana fiber is blended with materials like U.S. Upland cotton and has applications in apparel, footwear, automotive, construction, upholstery and more. St3ms also keeps carbon impact low, creating a reciprocal chain that bolsters farmers, reduces waste and provides a net positive through water and energy creation.
“The world can now come to St3ms and our partners to get the highest performance natural fiber yarns and textiles that can extend the life of their products, make them more comfortable and deliver positive environmental and social impact at the same time,” Kahmann says.
St3ms is now headquartered in Portland while production takes place in Guatemala. The goal is to continue strengthening the supply chain and eventually create a 100% banana fiber product. “Creating one t-shirt with cotton requires nearly two swimming pools of water,” Kahmann explains. “If we can make a 100% banana fiber t-shirt, we’ll actually be creating a net gain of one liter of water.”
The company officially revealed their textile MVP in January and is actively fundraising to fully commercialize and go-to-market. Kahmann says his big picture goal is to gain a foothold on 1% of the cotton market within the next five to ten years. “I hope at that point, I could ask folks to name a natural fiber, and they’ll point to our banana fiber.”
The process of developing and launching St3ms has been a real team and family effort, Kahmann says. He says St3ms has “an audacious goal that is backed by proven talent and just generally incredible people.” Kahmann learned from entrepreneurs in his own family growing up and is now sharing his experiences at the dinner table with his own kids. The support has been critical to St3ms’ success. In particular, his eight-year-old daughter enjoys seeing a startup built firsthand.
“She sees the sacrifices made and the support that makes it happen – though she does think I sell bananas,” Kahmann laughs.
Produced by A.wordsmith for OEN
