In a move that could reshape how the world’s jeans are made, textile giant Vicunha has partnered with Israeli technology company Sonovia to bring ultrasound-based dyeing to industrial-scale denim production, potentially eliminating toxic chemicals from one of fashion’s most polluting processes.
Vicunha, which controls approximately eight percent of the global denim fabric market and produces tens of millions of garments annually for brands including Zara, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein, acquired a 20 percent equity stake in Sonovia through a 2.4 million NIS investment, valuing the Tel Aviv-listed company at 12 million NIS post-money.
The partnership centers on Sonovia’s ultrasound wave technology for indigo dyeing, a process that replaces the toxic fixing chemicals traditionally used in denim manufacturing. The environmental improvements are striking: a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, an 85 percent reduction in water consumption, and a 42 percent reduction in energy usage compared to conventional methods.
“The denim industry has been searching for a viable path to cleaner production for years,” said Shuki Hershkovitz, founder and chairman of Sonovia. The partnership with one of the world’s largest denim producers provides the scale necessary to move the technology from promising innovation to industry standard.
The global denim industry, estimated at roughly 100 billion dollars, has faced increasing scrutiny over its environmental footprint. Traditional indigo dyeing involves hazardous chemicals including sodium hydrosulfite and formaldehyde, which pose risks to factory workers and contaminate waterways near manufacturing facilities, particularly in developing countries where environmental enforcement may be limited.
For Vicunha, the partnership represents both an environmental commitment and a strategic business decision. As major fashion brands face growing consumer pressure and tightening regulations around sustainability, suppliers who can offer cleaner production methods gain a significant competitive advantage. With approximately 7,000 employees and operations spanning Latin America, Vicunha is positioned to implement the technology at a scale that could influence industry-wide practices.
Sonovia, traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange under the ticker SONO, has developed its ultrasound platform over several years but lacked the manufacturing partnership necessary to prove the technology at commercial scale. The Vicunha deal provides exactly that proving ground.
Environmental advocates have cautiously welcomed the development while noting that meaningful change in the fashion industry requires adoption across multiple major manufacturers. If the Vicunha-Sonovia partnership delivers on its promised environmental metrics at scale, it could establish a new benchmark for what sustainable denim production looks like.
