Sustainable Apparel Coalition launches tech company

Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), the alliance of apparel, footwear and textile enterprises behind the Higg Index, has decided to spin off its technology division. A for-profit corporation called Higg Co. has been launched to develop the technology behind the sustainability assessment tools offered by SAC, allowing it to concentrate its efforts on the multi-stakeholder collaboration.

“SAC's vision of an industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm and has a positive social impact remains as vital as when we started," said SAC Interim Executive Director Amina Razvi in a statement. "Spinning out the technology capability enables both organizations to focus on accelerating progress towards that vision".

Higg Co. will be headquartered in San Francisco and led by former SAC CEO Jason Kibbey. In addition to developing the Higg Index tools, the company will offer custom technological solutions for specific clients.

SAC owns the majority of Higg Co., but financing is also provided by investment firms Titan Grove, Buckhill Capital and Sanjeev Bahl of Saiburg B.V.

SAC was founded in 2009 by Patagonia and Walmart. The group includes more than 240 apparel, textile and footwear businesses, nonprofits, trade associations and academic institutions looking to reduce their environmental impact. The Higg Index tools were released in 2011.