SRTX
SRTX is a Canadian materials-science and apparel-technology company known for Sheertex rip-resistant knit products made with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
SRTX is a Canadian materials-science and textile-technology company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Katherine Homuth, the company developed a proprietary rip-resistant knit intended to solve a familiar problem in hosiery: sheer tights that tear or snag easily. The material became the basis of the Sheertex brand and was subsequently adapted for other apparel applications, including swimwear and waterproof or hydrophobic textile membranes. The company began under the name Sheerly Genius. Its early development centered on the creation of a pair of sheer tights designed to withstand substantially more stress than conventional hosiery. The first Sheertex knit prototypes were produced in 2017. SRTX gained early visibility through a Kickstarter campaign for Sheerly Genius hosiery and was accepted into Y Combinator during the Fall 2017 intake before joining the accelerator's Winter 2018 batch. In Fall 2018, Sheerly Genius Pantyhose were recognized by TIME magazine as one of its Best Inventions, helping establish the product as a consumer-facing textile innovation rather than simply a new fashion label. The business later changed its name from Sheerly Genius to Sheertex, aligning the company more closely with its flagship material and product. It was subsequently rebranded as SRTX, reflecting a broader ambition beyond hosiery. The company specializes in textiles and apparel components using ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, commonly abbreviated as UHMWPE. This high-strength polymer is used in the company's knit structures and supports applications where tear resistance, durability, lightness, or water resistance are important. Sheertex remains SRTX's best-known consumer offering. The product line includes sheer pantyhose in multiple styles and colors, marketed around resistance to ripping and snagging. SRTX has also extended its material platform into other categories. In 2023, it launched Watertex, a line of swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel products using UHMWPE. The company has described its technology as applicable not only to finished consumer garments but also to textile components and membranes that can be incorporated into other apparel products. SRTX has developed an internal manufacturing-software platform called Cortex. The platform is intended to automate manufacturing operations and help reduce environmental impacts, linking the company's materials expertise with production-process technology. The company operates two manufacturing plants in Montreal. Its workforce reached approximately 200 employees by 2020, according to the referenced account. The business expanded from direct-to-consumer activity into wholesale distribution in 2023. Its products became available through retailers including H&M and COS, and the company also began selling through the QVC shopping channel. In 2024, SRTX was reported as having obtained B Corporation certification. This development fit the company's wider positioning around durable products, manufacturing innovation, and potentially lower-impact textile production, although the available reference material does not provide detailed certification metrics or environmental performance figures. SRTX's positioning therefore combines material science, apparel design, and vertically oriented manufacturing. Rather than competing solely as a fashion hosiery brand, it presents its products as applications of a proprietary textile platform. The company's evolution from Sheerly Genius to Sheertex and then SRTX reflects a progression from a single hosiery product toward a broader technology and materials business serving both consumer apparel and potential business-to-business textile applications.
History
SRTX was established in Canada in 2017 by Katherine Homuth. The company initially operated as Sheerly Genius and focused on a specific consumer problem: producing sheer hosiery that would resist ripping and snagging. Its early work led to the first prototypes of the Sheertex knit during 2017. The material used ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a high-strength polymer that allowed the company to pursue a different construction from ordinary sheer hosiery. The company used a Kickstarter campaign to attract early attention and support for its Sheerly Genius Pantyhose. This campaign helped position the business as a product-innovation venture rather than a conventional hosiery startup. During the same early period, the company was accepted into its first Y Combinator program in Fall 2017 and subsequently participated in the accelerator's Winter 2018 batch. In Fall 2018, Sheerly Genius Pantyhose were included among TIME magazine's Best Inventions, providing external recognition for the product's durability-oriented design. As the material and product became more closely associated with the Sheertex name, the company changed its name from Sheerly Genius to Sheertex. This transition emphasized the underlying textile technology as well as the consumer product. Sheertex tights became the company's signature offering, with products available in multiple styles and colors and positioned around resistance to tearing and snagging. The company's later rebrand as SRTX signaled a move toward a wider materials and apparel-technology identity rather than a business limited to hosiery. SRTX's technical focus is the use of UHMWPE in textile structures, apparel, and components. The company has described applications extending beyond sheer tights to swimwear, waterproof membranes, and other apparel products. It also operates two manufacturing plants in Montreal, giving the company an in-house production base. By 2020, the company had reached approximately 200 employees according to the referenced source. In addition to materials and finished apparel, SRTX developed Cortex, a manufacturing-software platform designed to automate manufacturing operations. The platform connects the company's software activity with its production business and is intended to improve operational efficiency while reducing environmental impacts. This combination of material development, apparel manufacturing, and production software is central to SRTX's broader corporate identity. The company expanded into wholesale in 2023. Its products became available through retailers such as H&M and COS, while QVC added another distribution channel. The same year, SRTX launched Watertex, a line of swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel made with UHMWPE. Watertex represented an application of the company's material platform outside its original hosiery focus. In 2024, SRTX was reported to have become B Corporation-certified. The available source material does not state the certification score, scope, or specific operational changes associated with certification. Overall, SRTX's development has moved through four broad stages: an early hosiery concept under Sheerly Genius; the commercialization and branding of Sheertex; expansion into a wider SRTX materials and manufacturing platform; and the addition of wholesale distribution and new UHMWPE apparel applications.
- 2024
B Corporation certification
[1]SRTX is reported as having obtained B Corporation certification.
- 2023
Wholesale expansion
[1]SRTX expands distribution through retailers including H&M and COS and through QVC.
- 2023
Watertex launches
[1]SRTX launches a UHMWPE-based line of swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel.
- 2020
Workforce reaches approximately 200 employees
[1]The referenced account reports that the company had approximately 200 employees by this year.
- 2018
Y Combinator Winter 2018 batch
[1]SRTX participates in Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch.
- 2018
Sheerly Genius Pantyhose receive TIME recognition
[1]The hosiery product is selected as one of TIME magazine's Best Inventions.
- 2017
SRTX is established
[1]Katherine Homuth establishes the company in Canada under the initial name Sheerly Genius, with a focus on durable sheer hosiery.
- 2017
First Sheertex knit prototypes are produced
[1]The company develops early prototypes of a rip-resistant knit intended for sheer tights.
- 2017
Entry into Y Combinator
[1]The company is accepted into its first Y Combinator program during the Fall 2017 intake.
Products and positioning
A materials-science and apparel-technology company focused on durable, high-performance textiles made with UHMWPE, combining branded consumer apparel with textile components, manufacturing capabilities, and production software.
Hosiery
Sheertex pantyhose
Sheertex pantyhose are SRTX's signature consumer product. They use the company's rip-resistant knit, developed with UHMWPE, to address the tearing and snagging associated with conventional sheer tights. The range is offered in multiple styles and colors and represents the original commercial application of SRTX's textile technology.
Swimwear and hydrophobic apparel · 2023
Watertex
Watertex is a product line introduced in 2023 using UHMWPE in swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel. It extends SRTX's material platform beyond hosiery into garments where water management, drying speed, and durability are important design requirements.
Technical textiles
UHMWPE textile components and membranes
SRTX develops textile components and apparel materials using ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The stated application areas include sheer knits, swimwear, and waterproof membranes for apparel. These materials form the technology base underlying the company's consumer brands and broader textile-business ambitions.
Manufacturing software
Cortex
Cortex is SRTX's manufacturing-software platform. It is designed to automate manufacturing operations and support reductions in environmental impact, complementing the company's materials-development and apparel-production activities.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Sheerly Genius Kickstarter campaign
International crowdfunding market
Under its original Sheerly Genius name, the company used Kickstarter to present hosiery designed around improved durability and resistance to ripping.
Outcome. The campaign helped generate early attention for the product and supported the company's initial market development.
Brand decisions
2023
Expand into wholesale distributionStrategyBackground
SRTX had developed its consumer products through a primarily direct-to-consumer and branded-product model.
Action taken
The company began selling through wholesale and retail partners including H&M and COS, as well as through QVC.
Aftermath
The move broadened access to SRTX products and added established retail and television-shopping channels.
2023
Launch WatertexProduct launchBackground
SRTX sought to apply its UHMWPE-based textile expertise beyond sheer hosiery.
Action taken
The company launched Watertex, a line of swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel.
Aftermath
Watertex expanded the company's product scope into swimwear and water-oriented apparel applications.
2018
Rename the business from Sheerly Genius to SheertexStrategyBackground
The company developed a signature knit and hosiery product that became associated with the Sheertex name.
Action taken
The business changed its name from Sheerly Genius to Sheertex to align the corporate identity with its flagship textile technology.
Aftermath
Sheertex became the best-known consumer-facing name for the company's rip-resistant tights before the later SRTX rebrand.
- Rebrand as SRTXStrategy
Background
The company expanded its identity beyond hosiery toward materials science, apparel components, manufacturing, and production software.
Action taken
The business adopted SRTX as its corporate brand.
Aftermath
The SRTX identity accommodates Sheertex, Watertex, technical textile development, and the Cortex manufacturing-software platform.
Recent events
- 2024
SRTX reported as B Corporation-certified[1]
Other
SRTX was reported to have obtained B Corporation certification.
- 2023
SRTX expands into wholesale distribution[1]
Other
SRTX began selling through wholesale and retail partners including H&M and COS, and also entered the QVC shopping channel.
- 2023
SRTX launches Watertex apparel line[1]
Product launch
The company introduced Watertex, a line of swimsuits and other fast-drying, hydrophobic apparel products made with UHMWPE.
- 2018
SRTX joins Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch[1]
Other
After entering its first Y Combinator program in Fall 2017, the company became part of the accelerator's Winter 2018 batch.
- 2018
Sheerly Genius Pantyhose named a TIME Best Invention[1]
Product launch
The company's hosiery product received recognition in TIME magazine's Best Inventions selection.
- 2017
SRTX is founded to develop rip-resistant hosiery[1]
Other
Katherine Homuth founded the company, initially operating under the name Sheerly Genius, with an emphasis on developing durable sheer tights.
Sources1 sources
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