Provest Equity Partners and CTW Venture Partners Announce Strategic Joint Investment in Natural Fiber Welding Inc.

Partnership Accelerates Innovation and Market Introduction of High-Performance, Plant-Based Materials Platform

PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Natural Fiber Welding Inc. ("NFW"), a pioneer in high-performance, plant-based materials, today announced a strategic investment from Provest Equity Partners, made jointly with CTW Venture Partners ("CTW"). The investment supports NFW's next phase as the company accelerates commercialization and global scale of its breakthrough climate-tech, low-carbon materials platform.

The partnership comes at a transformative moment for NFW as it expands production of its flagship innovations, enabled by proprietary green chemistry and materials science. These innovations include PLIANT™, the world's first naturally cured performance rubber outsoles and MIRUM^®, the world's first all-natural, plastic-free leather alternative.

Together, PLIANT™ and MIRUM® represent a scalable, regenerative circular materials platform capable of replacing entire categories of plastics and petrochemical-based materials—without compromising performance, durability, or aesthetic quality. The newly improved PLIANT™ is currently available to place orders, with broader market expansion underway.

"This partnership marks an important inflection point for NFW, enabling us to continue our mission of bringing sustainable, performance materials to market," said Steve Zika, Chief Executive Officer of NFW. "We are excited to partner with Provest, whose operator-driven approach and focus on disciplined scale align directly with what NFW needs as demand from global brand partners continues to accelerate. Together with CTW, we are strengthening the foundation required to scale responsibly while advancing the next generation of high-performance, sustainable materials."

NFW's platform has attracted backing from leading global brand partners and strategic investors, including BMW iVentures, Ralph Lauren Corporation, Allbirds, and Asahi Kasei —each recognizing the company's potential to redefine the performance-materials landscape.

The investment from Provest and CTW builds on this foundation with a sharpened focus on operational execution, product innovation, manufacturing scale, and long-term value creation.

"NFW exemplifies the type of platform we seek to support—breakthrough science paired with real industrial relevance," said Suhas Uppalapati, Chairman of NFW and Managing Partner of Provest Equity Partners. "Our role is to translate innovation into scalable, profitable growth, and we are excited to partner with NFW and CTW as the company enters its next phase."

Provest brings a hands-on operator-investor model with deep experience in advanced manufacturing, operational systems, and industrial scale-up, while CTW Venture Partners contributes strong expertise in scaling climate-tech and materials-science platforms. Together, the firms will support NFW by strengthening unit economics and sustainable supply-chain execution, enhancing governance, systems, and capital structure, accelerating commercialization with global brand partners, and advancing next-generation materials science initiatives.

Following the investment, NFW will continue to deepen relationships across footwear, fashion, automotive, and industrial markets while advancing its mission to replace petroleum-based materials with high-performance, regenerative, and climate-aligned natural alternatives.

About Natural Fiber Welding
Natural Fiber Welding, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, is a materials science company pioneering high-performance, plastic-free materials made entirely from renewable plant inputs. Its flagship products, PLIANT™ and MIRUM®, and deliver the performance of synthetic materials without fossil fuels or toxic chemicals, offering scalable solutions for global brands seeking sustainable alternatives. For more information, visit www.nfw.earth.

About Provest Equity Partners
Provest Equity Partners is an Atlanta-based growth equity firm dedicated to building exceptional industrial, technology-enabled manufacturing, and sustainability-driven platform companies. Provest's hands-on operator-investor model combines capital, operational leadership, and strategic execution to help founder-led businesses scale into market leaders. For more information, visit www.provestequity.com.

About CTW Venture Partners
CTW Venture Partners is a venture capital firm specializing in transformative technologies in sustainability, advanced materials, and industrial innovation. CTW partners closely with founders and management teams to scale high-impact platforms with global commercial potential. For more information, visit www.ctwvp.com.

SOURCE Provest Equity Partners