Martin Bentz: Our ambition is to be the most relevant for temperature comfort

Outlast Technologies is a specialist in temperature management for textiles. Their mission is simple: They help products feel better, perform better, and support comfort before discomfort begins. Originally inspired by technology developed for space applications, Outlast now bring proactive temperature regulation, cooling, and high-performance insulation into everyday products – from bedding and apparel to footwear, workwear, and technical textiles.In short: Outlast help textiles do more than just look good. They help actively contribute to comfort. Martin Bentz, CEO, Outlast Technologies, in this interaction with Divya Shetty, discusses the company’s technological innovations and expansion plans.

What product categories and solutions does Outlast Technologies currently offer, and which industries do you primarily serve?

We focus on three core solution areas: temperature regulation, cooling, and insulation. With Outlast® Temperature Regulation, we offer a proactive technology that absorbs excess heat, stores it, and releases it again when needed. This helps create a more balanced microclimate before discomfort begins.

Our fresh2SKIN® cooling technology adds an immediate cooling effect at first touch, while also contributing to longer-lasting temperature-regulating comfort. It can be applied to a wide range of textile base materials, which makes it highly versatile for different applications.

And then there is Aersulate® insulation, our ultra-thin, lightweight insulation technology based on aerogel. It delivers high thermal performance even under compression and humidity – which is particularly relevant in areas where conventional insulation reaches its limits.

Overall, we primarily serve B2B markets such as bedding, apparel, footwear, outdoor, workwear, protective wear, home textiles, and technical textiles. Our customers are manufacturers and brands looking to create products with a clear and measurable comfort advantage.

What are the key technological innovations or proprietary technologies that differentiate your products from competitors?

Our strongest differentiator is that we do not simply react to discomfort – we help prevent it.

Many textile technologies manage sweat after it has already appeared. Outlast® Temperature Regulation works earlier: it helps balance the microclimate by absorbing excess heat before overheating becomes uncomfortable.

With fresh2SKIN®, we offer a very easy-to-use technology: it can be applied via a simple dipping bath, is suitable for a wide range of textiles, and allows brands to add an immediate cooling effect plus longer-lasting temperature-regulating comfort – without changing existing fabrics, colors, or product concepts.

And with Aersulate®, we use the extraordinary properties of aerogel to create insulation that remains highly effective even when space is limited, humidity is present, or pressure is applied. What makes it special is the exceptionally high aerogel content of 50% by volume. This enables a very high level of performance – and that is very much part of the Outlast DNA: creating textile solutions that deliver a real, measurable comfort advantage.

So, our technologies are not just about adding a function. They are about solving real comfort problems in a smart way.

Does Outlast Technologies actively cater to the Indian market? If so, what products or partnerships are relevant to Indian customers?

Yes, India is a highly relevant market for us – especially because thermal comfort is not a luxury in hot and humid climates; it is a daily need. And in areas such as workwear, protective wear, or military applications, this goes far beyond comfort. Less overheating and reduced moisture build-up can help users stay more focused, feel less physically strained, and make better use of their performance potential.

For Indian customers, our solutions are particularly interesting in bedding, mattresses, apparel, uniforms, workwear, footwear, protective wear, and home textiles. We also already serve customers in the medical sector, for example manufacturers of X-ray protective equipment. This shows that our technologies are relevant wherever thermal comfort, protection, and user performance need to work together.

We see strong potential in partnerships with Indian brands and manufacturers who want to differentiate through comfort, innovation, and performance. India has a remarkable textile tradition and a highly dynamic manufacturing base. For us, that is a very exciting combination – heritage, scale, and innovation in one market.

How do you approach sustainability and environmental considerations in your product design and material choices?

For us, sustainability starts with relevance. A product that performs better, lasts longer, and improves real user comfort creates more value – for the brand, for the user, and ultimately also for the environment. That is why we focus on technologies that help brands create products with a meaningful and lasting benefit.

Beyond that, we invest a great deal of manpower, research, and development into making our technologies as sustainable as possible. In our temperature regulation technology, for example, we work with microcapsules containing wax based on renewable raw materials such as rapeseed oil. It took a great deal of research and development to make this possible – but it was absolutely worth the effort.

With Aersulate®, we use silica-based aerogel – in simple terms, a material derived from quartz, or sand. We integrate this aerogel into viscose, a wood-based renewable fiber. For us, this clearly shows that innovation and sustainability are not opposites. Quite the contrary: when done properly, they complement each other beautifully.

Sustainability is not only about what is inside a material. It is also about making products people truly want to use, keep, and value. Otherwise, even the “greenest” product may end up being just another item nobody loves.

What are your strategic priorities and expansion plans for the next 2–5 years, especially in emerging markets like India?

Our priority is to strengthen Outlast’s position as The Temperature Specialist in Textiles across three areas: regulating, cooling, and insulating.

Over the next years, we want to expand our international partnerships, increase visibility in high-growth markets, and support brands in translating textile innovation into clear consumer benefits. India is definitely part of this picture.

We see strong opportunities in bedding, apparel, workwear, and footwear – especially where heat, humidity, and comfort are key challenges. At the same time, we will continue to invest in technical communication, testing, and application development, because innovation only becomes valuable when it can be clearly understood and successfully brought into products.

Our ambition is not to be the loudest voice in the market. It is to be the most relevant one when it comes to temperature comfort. And ideally, to make overheating a little less common.