Petri Alava joins Haelixa's board to support growth

Haelixa, the Swiss pioneer in DNA-based traceability and product authentication, has announced that Petri Alava, founder and former chief executive of Infinited Fiber Company, has joined its board of directors to reinforce the company’s next phase of growth.

Alava led Infinited Fiber Company through a decade-long journey from breakthrough textile-to-textile recycling innovation to global brand adoption, securing more than 100 million euros in strategic funding from H&M Group, Inditex, Adidas and Zalando, and establishing over 200 million euros in long-term commercial offtake agreements with brands including Patagonia and PVH.

In a statement, Haelixa said that Alava’s “operational scale experience” will complement the company's deep scientific expertise, following its recent 2 million euro capital raise to accelerate its international deployment across textiles, luxury goods and high-value materials.

His appointment also comes as fashion brands face tighter due diligence requirements and increased counterfeit exposure, where documentation alone is no longer sufficient. Haelixa embeds DNA markers directly into fibres and trims, providing physical proof of origin that remains detectable in finished garments and resale channels.

Patrick Strumpf, chief executive of Haelixa, said: “We’ve built deep scientific and regulatory expertise. Petri brings experience in turning breakthrough innovation into industrial adoption. That combination matters as traceability becomes foundational rather than optional.”