Bengaluru-based Whizzo harnesses materials science to weave innovative textiles

The Indian textile industry is the country’s second-largest employment provider after agriculture, offering direct employment to over 35 million people. 

As companies diversify away from China and Bangladesh, India has a unique opportunity to strengthen its foothold in textiles. This is supported by a strong MSME ecosystem and government initiatives like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, which encourage innovation and expansion in the sector.

However, global demand is shifting toward engineered and technically advanced textiles, outpacing current supply. 

This is where Bengaluru-based Whizzo steps in. Founded in 2024, by former Zetwerk executive Shrestha Kukreja, Whizzo is a materials science manufacturing company that specialises in engineered and technical textiles. 

“With a robust supply chain spanning India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, Whizzo is committed to delivering groundbreaking textile solutions at speed and scale,” says Kukreja.

Diverse industries

Whizzo specialises in developing and executing advanced textile blends tailored for applications across automotive, agriculture, packaging, medical textiles, and engineered fashion. With extensive expertise in woven, non-woven, and composite technologies, the company boasts robust manufacturing capabilities and technical know-how.

In addition to its strong technological foundation, Whizzo operates an in-house design lab dedicated to fashion-engineered textiles. 

“Customers have access to a tech-backed digital repository of blends and collections to choose from. After selecting a blend, they receive a clear order timeline, reducing the typical time to market from 18-24 months to just one day,” says Kukreja.

Kukreja states that global brands often face challenges in expanding their product lines, seeking partners who collaborate from concept to final formulation. Whizzo, according to the founder, not only supports this iterative development process but also ensures continuity beyond initial production, working alongside brands throughout the product lifecycle in a fast-evolving textile industry.

Creating the ideal blend

“A major part of our solution lies in finding the right blends of materials and process reengineering, areas where commercial manufacturers often lag behind. This is where Whizzo steps in—creating the ideal blend for customers’ specific applications while ensuring execution and delivery promises are met,” says Kukreja.

He says this value proposition is unique and first-of-its-kind in the technical textiles market, as currently the market only has commercial manufacturers, and those are also not necessarily full-stack.

“The process and complexity start at blend level followed by process re-engineering so that existing CAPEX can be used for new blends. So establishing compatibility at product, process and machinery  vector is very important,” he says

“Currently, materials science is typically handled by R&D labs, but they don’t execute the orders. On the other hand, manufacturers often remain disconnected from materials science. Whizzo bridges this gap by offering a complete, end-to-end solution—combining scientific innovation with manufacturing execution,” he adds.

Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA); Shiva Texyarn Limited and Welspun are players operating in this sector.

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Sustainability at its core

Whizzo says that circular economy is at the heart of its operations.

A key project in this effort is its low-water denim, which uses advanced laser treatment to cut water consumption by 95% and eliminate chemical-intensive processes. This innovation enhances both sustainability and product quality.

“Leveraging an advanced laser treatment process, this innovation reduces water usage by 95% compared to conventional denim manufacturing while eliminating chemical-intensive processes such as bleaching, oxidation, and enzyme treatments,” explains Kukreja.

Business model and way ahead

The startup raised its seed round of $4.2 million in January 2025 led by Lightspeed and BEENEXT Singapore.

Whizzo’s method of operation is similar to that of a CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation) in the pharmaceutical sector. 

The B2B manufacturing company generates revenue through orders executed for institutional clients from different industries. 

“The key driver is our co-creation model, where we collaborate with customers from the product conception stage, leveraging our design lab, formulation expertise, and a tech-backed digital repository,” he adds.

In the future, the startup plans to establish a state-of-the-art design lab for engineered fashion textiles. 

“Alongside this, Whizzo will continue to invest in its materials science capabilities, generating proprietary blends for versatile applications,” Kukreja says.

The company intends to develop supply and science capabilities globally in countries like Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, while also expanding its clientele in the EU, LATAM, and US markets. 

Kukreja also mentioned that they are collaborating with large institutional clients on the co-creation of innovative blends for their portfolios, where the company will serve as the exclusive supply chain partner for these product lines.