In 2025, Outlast® Technologies (“Outlast”) launched the thermally insulating textile fiber Aersulate®, containing Svenska Aerogels material Quartzene®. In an interview conducted by Dagens Börs, Martin Bentz, CEO of Outlast Technologies, shares insights into the company’s work, the development of the Aersulate® product and its future potential.
Interview with Martin Bentz, CEO of Outlast Technologies, contucted by Per Stolt, Dagens Börs.
Per Stolt (Per): Tell me about your company Outlast, and the connection to NASA and their space missions!
Martin Bentz (Martin): Well, Outlast is a technology company based in Germany and our core technology originates from research initially developed for NASA. Our core business is what we call phase change material, PCM. A simple example of a phase changing material is water. When water is very cold, it becomes solid – ice. If you want to melt ice, you have to add energy or heat. The material then changes from solid to liquid and absorbs energy during this process. When the process reverses and water freezes again, the stored energy is released.
At Outlast we use the same physical principle, but instead of water we use specially engineered waxes where we can define the melting temperature very precisely. We design that melting temperature according to the microclimate of the human body.
This wax is integrated into very small microcapsules, which are then incorporated into textile materials.
We sell these high-tech textiles to our customers in a B2B model. Our customers are manufacturers of bedding products, apparel, footwear and other products that are worn close to the body.
For the consumer, the benefit is that overheating can be reduced, sweat formation can be delayed and the overall microclimate next to the body becomes more balanced. In simple terms, it is a temperature buffering technology.
The origins of this technology go back to the space program. NASA faced extreme temperature swings when spacecraft moved between direct sunlight and the shadow of the Earth. To help buffer these fluctuations, NASA developed phase change materials that could absorb and release heat.
Initially the technology was used to protect technical equipment and later also in astronaut suits.
The founders of Outlast later obtained the rights to further develop this technology and adapt it for commercial applications, with the goal of bringing this principle from space research into everyday products.
Per: What is Outlast core business?
Martin: We have several different technologies, but everything we do is related to temperature management in textiles. Our products either regulate temperature or help retain it. On one side, we have our temperature regulation technology. These textile materials absorb, store and release body heat depending on the conditions. When you become too warm, the material absorbs excess heat and helps balance the microclimate next to the body.
For example, in textile bedding systems such as mattress protectors or duvets, testing has shown that sweat production during the night can be significantly reduced – in some cases by up to 50%. Most people know the situation: during the night you overheat, start sweating and push away the blanket or stick out a leg to cool down. Even if you don’t fully wake up, this often interrupts deeper sleep phases, which are important for recovery.
By helping to reduce overheating, our technology can support a more stable and comfortable sleep environment.
On the other side, we also develop high-performance insulation materials for textile applications, which are based on aerogel technology developed in cooperation with Svenska Aerogel.
Unlike temperature regulation, this technology is designed to retain heat or protect against cold. In simple terms, it addresses the opposite need: instead of buffering temperature changes, it provides very efficient thermal insulation within textile products.
Per: Tell us more about the development with Svenska Aerogels product Quartzene (aerogel powder)
Martin: Aerogel is a fascinating material. If you search for aerogel, you will see some remarkable examples. It is considered the lightest solid material and consists of about 98% air, which makes it highly porous and an excellent insulator.
However, it is also very challenging to process, especially in textile applications.
In the beginning, we developed some fabrics using aerogel from another supplier, but working with the material was not easy. In the next step, we started exploring whether it would be possible to integrate aerogel particles directly into a textile fiber.
For this process we evaluated different aerogel materials and eventually identified the aerogel from Svenska Aerogel, which proved to be very suitable for our approach.
Of course, it did not work immediately. Together with our fiber production partners we went through several development cycles. Like in many innovation processes, it required multiple trials and continuous improvements. After this development phase, we succeeded in producing a fiber containing aerogel particles, which can be processed into different textile insulation structures such as wadding or felt with varying weight levels.
We then tested the insulation performance of these materials under different conditions, including compression and moisture.
The results have been very promising. By integrating Svenska Aerogel’s aerogel powder into our fibers and textile structures, it becomes possible to produce very lightweight and thin insulation materials while maintaining a high insulation performance. For example, you can create a much thinner and lighter duvet while still achieving the insulation level typically associated with heavier winter products. The same concept applies to apparel: a very thin insulation layer can still provide strong thermal performance, enabling lightweight jackets that combine insulation with a slim, wearable design. These jackets would be filled with textile insulation materials made from fibers that contain aerogel particles supplied by Svenska Aerogel.
Outlast Aersulate wadding
Per: So, you take the powder from Svenska Aerogel and integrate it into your production process?
Martin: Yes, exactly. We integrate the aerogel particles from Svenska Aerogel directly into the fiber production process.
Inside the textile fiber, the aerogel particles are embedded in the material. With this upgraded fiber we then produce different textile insulation structures, such as wadding or felt, which we sell to our customers in the industry.
These materials can be used, for example, in very lightweight jackets, ski apparel or protective clothing for workers in cold environments such as cold storage facilities.
In general, insulation works in two directions: either protecting against heat or protecting against cold. Most insulation systems today are based on trapping air, because air is a very effective insulator.
If you look at a typical down jacket, you have an outer fabric and a lining, and the down in between creates space that traps air. This trapped air provides the insulation.
However, the challenge with traditional insulation is that when it is compressed or becomes wet, most of the trapped air is lost and the insulation performance decreases.
This is where our material offers an advantage. Even when the material is compressed or exposed to moisture, it can maintain a very high level of insulation performance. Another benefit is that the insulation layer can be much thinner than conventional solutions. This makes the technology particularly interesting for applications where space or weight are limited, but reliable insulation is still required.
Per: Who are Outlasts customers?
Martin: Our customers include brands such as Nike, Adidas, Hugo Boss and Timberland, just to name a few.
We supply our materials as textile fabrics on rolls to manufacturers, who then integrate them into their products, for example running shoes, jackets or other apparel.
We also work with the military and protective equipment sector, where our materials can be used in products such as ballistic vests, helmets, gloves or medical and orthopedic applications. This is not our largest market today, but it is an area that is growing steadily.
Per: What about competitor? Why are Outlast better than its competitor? Do you have good sales?
Martin: Yes, we do have good sales. But the more interesting question is what makes Outlast different.
Outlast was the first company to successfully introduce phase change material (PCM) technology into textile applications. The founders of the company recognized very early that this was a unique technology originally developed for NASA, and they secured around 60 patents around this concept. But they also understood that technology alone is not enough to build a long-term business. Patents eventually expire, and sooner or later competitors appear.
So from the very beginning, they decided to build both a technology platform and a strong brand.
Outlast was positioned in the medium- to high-end segment, combining innovation with branding and communication. This is why our customers sign a trademark license agreement with us. As part of this agreement, the Outlast logo appears on the final consumer product.
Over the years, a wide range of brands have used Outlast technologies, including Nike, Adidas, Hugo Boss and Timberland, among others. Today, for example, you can see the Outlast label on Adidas goalkeeper gloves.
So our DNA is really the combination of technology, brand and communication. Our partners benefit not only from the performance of the material, but also from the credibility and recognition of the Outlast brand.
Through the trademark license agreement we also provide marketing support, giving our partners access to images, videos, graphics and approved wording that help explain the technology to consumers.
Per: Tell me a little bit about yourself, Martin.
Martin: I’ve been running the company since 2002, so for about 24 years now. In many ways, Outlast has become a bit like my baby. I really enjoy developing the business, working on new ideas and pushing innovation forward.
Per: How do you work with you B2B customers?
Martin: Our approach is to cooperate with companies that have a very high quality standard and a strong brand of their own. Over the years, our technologies have been used by brands such as Nike, Hugo Boss or Timberland, among many others.
Building a strong brand takes many years. Companies that invest in their brand also care about quality, innovation and credibility. That makes them ideal partners for us.
Per: Tell me what is the status with your collaboration with Svenska Aerogel?
Martin: We currently have a strong focus on our aerogel-based insulation technology, which we are developing using raw materials from Svenska Aerogel, and the results so far are very encouraging.
We presented the materials at several trade fairs late last year and earlier this year, and the feedback from the market has been very positive.
We have only recently started sourcing raw material from Svenska Aerogel, so the commercial development is still at an early stage. But we see promising potential for this technology and believe it could become an interesting growth opportunity for us.
For context, we are also currently in the process of preparing our own IPO, so we are working towards entering the stock market.
In that sense, the combination of our textile expertise and Svenska Aerogel’s material technology could become a very interesting partnership going forward.
Per: So, what do you think about the future with Outlast and Svenska Aerogel?
Martin: Initially we started with smaller production runs, but last year we placed our largest order so far with Svenska Aerogel in order to secure sufficient material for production and to have material available for customer sampling and potential upcoming orders.
Could this lead to larger or continuous orders in the future? Possibly. However, it would not be serious for me to speculate or give any numbers at this stage regarding where volumes might be at the end of this year or next year.
Of course, our goal is to work with large customers and bring this technology into real applications. From what we have seen so far, the technical results and the market interest are very encouraging, and we believe the potential for this technology is clearly there.
At the same time, we are still at an early stage of commercialization. Both companies are working closely together, and we appreciate the cooperation with Tor Einar Norbakk and his team at Svenska Aerogel.
If demand develops positively in the future, Svenska Aerogel has indicated that they would be able to expand production capacity at their existing facility.
Per: Did you sell any products to any customers yet with Svenska Aerogels product (Quartzene aerogel powder)?
Martin: As part of this project, we purchased several tons of material from Svenska Aerogel. We have already produced the fiber and are currently completing the full production run.
In total, we are producing around 20 tons of fiber, and during the pre-production phase we manufactured several hundred meters of nonwoven materials such as wadding and felt. These materials were presented at the Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, one of the most important exhibitions for home textiles, bedding and related products.
At the fair we distributed a significant amount of sampling material. Typically, customers receive a few meters of material so they can produce prototypes and evaluate how the product performs and behaves in their applications.
We are currently in this evaluation phase, so there are no confirmed bulk orders yet.
However, the feedback we received at the fair was very encouraging. Many visitors told us that this technology was one of the most interesting developments they had seen at the exhibition.
Per: When is your next exhibition?
Martin: The next very important exhibition for us will be Techtextil in Frankfurt, which takes place in April. It is the leading global trade fair for technical textiles.
We will have our own booth there and will present our latest developments, including our aerogel-based insulation materials.
What makes this exhibition particularly interesting is that the entire technical textile industry comes together there – from apparel and footwear brands to machinery manufacturers, chemical companies and material suppliers.
It is really the key platform for technical textile innovations, and our aerogel-based materials will be one of the main highlights of our presentation.
Per: What I’m thinking, Martin, is that if this goes better than planned, wouldn’t it be a good idea to acquire Svenska Aerogel instead of buying raw material from them to keep the margins in the company?
Martin: It’s always something you can never completely rule out. In our owner group we are generally open to strategic opportunities if they make sense.
However, it is far too early to speculate about something like that. At this stage we simply don’t have enough experience with the commercial development of this technology yet.
For now, we have integrated Svenska Aerogel’s material into one of our textile product lines, and the technical results so far are very encouraging.
How this develops will ultimately depend on the market – whether customers adopt the technology and whether it leads to larger orders. That is something we will see over time.
The interview is also available on Dagens Börs