logo
Plant-based colourant manufacturer Sparxell wins ChangeNow ‘Coups de Cœur'

Plant-based colourant manufacturer Sparxell wins ChangeNow ‘Coups de Cœur'

Fashion United28-04-2025
Sparxell, an LVMH-backed, plant-based colourant tech firm, has won ChangeNow's 'Coups de Cœur' recognition award in the fashion category, and has further been named among the organisation's Change100 winners for 2025.
The list, a round up of the top sustainability startups to watch this year, evaluates solutions based on their positive impact addressing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, while the award then intends to highlight the firm's 'game-changing potential to transform the fashion industry'.
The honours were announced at the ChangeNow Summit in Paris on April 25, where results were revealed on the basis of decisions made by a panel of experts. In a statement, founder and CEO of Sparxell, Benjamin Droguet, said the recognitions validated the company's 'mission to revolutionise how industries approach colour'.
Droguet continued: "This comes at a pivotal moment as we scale our technology to transform how the entire fashion industry approaches colour. Through this innovation, we're not just creating sustainable products—we're helping shape a world where beautiful, high-performance materials work in harmony with nature rather than against it."
Sparxell has been growing rapidly since its founding in 2022, aligning with increased demand for more eco-friendly solutions in colourants. The company, which recently secured a 1.9 million euro grant from the European Innovation Council, already works with the likes of LVMH on strategic partnerships with luxury brands.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tag Heuer reclaims pole position as Formula 1 timekeeper
Tag Heuer reclaims pole position as Formula 1 timekeeper

Times

time6 hours ago

  • Times

Tag Heuer reclaims pole position as Formula 1 timekeeper

With the blockbuster launch of this year's Formula 1 season, recent dull championships have been well and truly consigned to history. An exhibition in London to mark the sport's 75th anniversary attracted 340,000 visitors, while the F1 75 Live party at the O2 arena drew a crowd of 20,000 to witness all ten teams gather under one roof to introduce their new cars and liveries. Partygoers might also have spotted that the VIP tables were laden with Moët & Chandon champagne. The reason? The pinnacle of motorsport has a new lead sponsor in the form of the luxury goods giant LVMH, the owner of Moët & Chandon. But the most prominent LVMH brand will be Tag Heuer, which is returning to the role of official timekeeper for F1's 24 races, staged around the world from Melbourne to Miami. This bookends an involvement in the grand prix world that dates back to the founding of the F1 World Championship in 1950, when Heuer (as it was called then) supplied stopwatches to leading race teams. It went on to introduce the first timekeeping board comprising a trio of handheld chronographs that could be operated in unison to record successive laps. The maker's first official links with F1 came in 1969 when it made the Swiss driving star Jo Siffert the initial grand prix driver to be sponsored by a watch company, after which it signed a partnership with Scuderia Ferrari. It was at this time that the actor Steve McQueen, a racing enthusiast, also became associated with the brand. Heuer was subsequently appointed the official timing partner of F1 for the first time, a role that ended in 1980 but which recommenced in 1985 after the company was bought by the Saudi tycoon Akram Ojjeh's Tag Group (hence the name change to Tag Heuer). The group supported the Williams F1 team and sponsored the development of Porsche engines for McLaren's grand prix cars in the Eighties, helping to establish the association with the Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna that persists today, more than 30 years after his death during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. • This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Tag Heuer takes over the prestigious timekeeping role from the mighty Rolex, which has held it since 2013. LVMH can spread the cost across its multiple brands, all of which will be exposed to F1's global fan base, a large percentage of whom represent the bullseye of the demographic to which Tag Heuer wants to appeal. At a recent forum staged by the sports agency CSM, the discussion focused on how F1 has radically reinvented itself and capitalised on social media, fashion, music and film to appeal to the vital Gen Z audience. All this should be music to the ears of Tag Heuer CEO Antoine Pin, who only took over the job of running the brand last summer. 'F1 is the perfect fit for us, not only because of our long history in motor racing, but also because the brand encourages people to go beyond, not to crack under pressure,' he says. And if research by the pre-owned platform Watchfinder & Co is right, those Gen Z buyers who have become hooked on F1 won't be able to resist a timepiece from the brand keeping the whole championship on track. Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1The brand also marks another milestone this year by being made the first title partner of the Monaco Grand Prix. This is celebrated with the split-seconds version of the Monaco watch, which features subdials marked with 'Lights out' and 'Away we go' and the F1 logo, and a case made from a combination of sapphire crystal and ceramic. POA Formula 1 SolargraphTag Heuer nabbed Formula 1 as a watch name in 1986. The original, made from steel and glass fibre, remains much loved — hence the brand's decision to relaunch it in 2024. Now a new 38mm version will be available to buy at various grand prix venues. Its trademark 'daisy' bezel is made from bio-sourced castor oil that can be tinted in different colours. From £1,550 Carrera Twin-TimeNamed after the celebrated Carrera Panamericana cross-Mexico road race, the Carrera was launched in 1963. Over time, the Carrera name has appeared on numerous designs of Heuer watches including automatic chronographs and date and dual time zone functions. The new 41mm version combines the last two features in the latest 'glass box' configuration. £4,250 Grand prix watch sponsors are finally reaching out to younger generations, says Scarlett Baker 'One day, I hope to purchase a Richard Mille like [the Ferrari driver] Charles Leclerc wears,' writes the 19-year-old Formula 1 fan Niamh Ball on TikTok. 'Particularly the RM UP-01 Ferrari.' Ball is among 750 million viewers who tuned in last year to watch the sport. We're in an era of total F1 exposure, where you don't need to be sitting at Silverstone to catch the motorsport's buzz. Open social media apps for team strategies, drivers' playlists and the brands they wear; tune in to Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive for an inside look at life in the fast lane. The celebrity-packed Paddock Club has become a catwalk for product promotion, and none more so than watches. F1's racing teams have seven watch sponsors between them, with timepieces on the wrists of their members but also logos emblazoned across overalls, helmets and motorhomes. Tag Heuer has backed Red Bull; Tudor aligns with Racing Bulls; IWC Schaffhausen with Mercedes-AMG Petronas; Richard Mille is linked to both McLaren and Ferrari; Girard-Perregaux with Aston Martin; and the latest tie-up is H Moser & Cie with Alpine. Streamliner flyback chronograph, £52,500, 'F1 has opened doors to a whole new crowd — people who might never have walked into a boutique but are now messaging us asking which watch would best match their racing gloves,' says H Moser & Cie CEO and co-owner Edouard Meylan. But it's the sport's posterboys who truly bring in the fans: McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc — each with millions of followers — step out of the cockpit, remove their helmets and immediately fasten a custom Richard Mille to their wrists. Moments later the timepiece is all over social media. More eyes on the sport means more attention on watches. 'We all benefit from the glitz and glam — it's a great environment for watches,' confirms Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, which is also title watch sponsor for the fictional APX GP team in the upcoming film F1 starring Brad Pitt. 'F1 fans are passionate about the smallest details,' Meylan continues. 'That's exactly the mindset of a watch collector. If they can geek out over the aerodynamics of a front wing, they'll definitely get hooked on a beautifully finished movement.'

Giffgaff's 50p 'unlimited everything' deal is £180 off and rivals EE, O2 and Three
Giffgaff's 50p 'unlimited everything' deal is £180 off and rivals EE, O2 and Three

Daily Record

timea day ago

  • Daily Record

Giffgaff's 50p 'unlimited everything' deal is £180 off and rivals EE, O2 and Three

Giffgaff has slashed £180 off its 'best ever' unlimited data, calls and texts plan. Giffgaff has launched an unlimited data deal to rival major networks like EE, O2 and Three. On Friday (August 15), giffgaff announced it has slashed £180 off its 'unlimited everything' plan, offering unlimited data, calls and texts for £15 per month. Usually priced at £25, the price cut means customers will pay 50p per day over a 30-day period. The plan – which giffgaff calls its 'best ever' – also provides 5GB of inclusive roaming in the EU and select destinations. It's available on an 18-month contract, with customers receiving a £10 discount each month to a total of £180. Giffgaff runs on the O2 network, with coverage including 5G at no extra cost in areas where 5G is available on the 'unlimited everything' plan. The provider also allows new customers to keep their existing phone number. After the minimum term the plan will revert to the usual £25, but at this point customers are no longer tied into any contract. For those looking for a new phone to go with their data plan, giffgaff has knocked £80 off the iPhone 16e – Apple's latest model. It now comes in at £539 when paying up front, or £14.42 per month over 36 months with a £20 upfront payment. Announcing the new 'unlimited everything' deal, Ash Schofield, CEO at giffgaff, said: 'We're always looking for ways to improve our SIM plans to make life a little easier for our members, so we're proud to launch this absolute steal of a deal. Not only that, but while many other network providers increased their prices this year, we stuck to our commitment to no mid-contract price rises, so our members can rest easy that their mobile bill will stay the same for the length of their contract.' Giffgaff isn't the only brand tempting new customers this month, as Currys-backed retailer is giving away £120 cashback with select SIM plans. The deal is with iD Mobile's 50GB SIM only plan, which usually costs £8 per month. However, this essentially works out at £3 per month across the 24-month contract after cashback. Elsewhere, Sky Mobile is throwing in a pair of free Galaxy Buds3 Pro worth £219 with its £22 Samsung Galaxy S25 package. But for those sticking with giffgaff, the company has earned thousands of positive ratings from customers, as one five-star review says: 'Giffgaff offer a simple, straightforward service with competitor beating prices. I have never had problems with their coverage and I have been with them for many years now. I honestly don't think that there's a better provider out there.' Another says: 'Good service and value for money. Monthly contract means you can change the contract each month if you need more or less data, calls or texts in the coming month. No call centre but all issues are quickly fixed in the community section of the website or app.' This customer offered a more mixed review, saying: 'Would like an easy way via email or phone etc to contact giffgaff when an issue occurs. You provide a good service, but contacting giffgaff not easy.' While another glowing review says: 'Very fair prices, excellent customer service. A website that is easy to negotiate and good communications. The best mobile company I have been with.'

UN Commission urges Latin America to diversify markets to confront Trump's tariffs
UN Commission urges Latin America to diversify markets to confront Trump's tariffs

Reuters

time2 days ago

  • Reuters

UN Commission urges Latin America to diversify markets to confront Trump's tariffs

MEXICO CITY, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The head of the U.N. commission on Latin America, Jose Manuel Salazar, urged the region's countries to diversify their export and import markets and to integrate their economies in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. "Rather than replacing imports, I would use the word diversify," Salazar, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, told Reuters in an interview Thursday evening. He said the organization is recommending that its members renew alliances both inside and outside the region, since diversification would require a long-term commitment. Salazar cited a trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union that was finalized by negotiators in December after two decades of talks and is expected to get legislative approval soon. He also called for exploring trade and investment channels with Asian and African countries, and for deepening regional integration in Latin America. The United Nations commission supports economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Salazar, a Costa Rican economist, was in Mexico to attend a regional conference on women. He said progress has been made regarding women's inclusion in Latin American economies, but more still needs to be done to close the gap in labor market participation. Salazar also said that, due to aging populations and declining fertility rates in Latin America, the demand for care for older adults will increase. The commission has asked its members to allocate up to 4.7% of their GDP to invest in elder care infrastructure by 2035. He said such spending could create up to 31 million jobs over the next decade in 23 countries in the region.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store