When Jakob Esterowitz (ENG’27) noticed his clothing manufacturer overseas was reluctant to disclose where materials came from, he began investigating on his own. What he discovered was startling: 10% of global carbon emissions come from polyester clothing production, and more than 24 million pounds of polyester tennis strings end up in landfills annually—where they remain for over 500 years.
For Jakob and fellow Boston University tennis player Jonah Dickson (COM’25), this revelation wasn’t just concerning—it was personal.
“Every string that’s ever been created is still in a landfill somewhere,” Jakob explains, highlighting the scale of the problem.
This realization led the two student-athletes to found Orobor, a sustainability-focused startup that transforms discarded tennis racket strings into high-quality polyester fabric for clothing manufacturing. Their solution addresses two environmental challenges simultaneously: reducing textile waste and giving new life to discarded tennis strings.
Collection efforts began modestly, with Jakob and Jonah driving to local pro shops and setting up collection boxes. As word spread, their approach evolved.
“We started cold calling places around the country,” Jonah says. “Pretty much every single one of them was like, ‘this is an amazing idea, and we’ll totally back you.’”
That enthusiastic response revealed the tennis community’s recognition of the waste problem and willingness to be part of the solution. Today, Orobor has partnerships with over 2,500 collection locations across the United States and internationally, including recent expansion into the Czech Republic and upcoming efforts in the United Kingdom.
Their fellow BU tennis teammates have rallied behind the venture as well, helping with everything from string sorting to business advice. One teammate studying patent law assists with legal matters, while others with finance backgrounds help with operations.
“Our teammates have been super supportive about the idea,” Jonah notes. “They’ve put us in touch with a lot of their stringers at home or people they know in the tennis industry from where they grew up playing.”
Orobor employs a patented chemical recycling process developed with a professor from Washington State University. The technology allows them to transform tennis strings into polyester fiber—the building block for yarn and eventually fabric.
The process is remarkably efficient compared to traditional polyester production. Jakob explains that their approach reduces CO₂ emissions by 69% per square meter of fabric and uses 96% less water than conventional fabric production.
One particularly innovative aspect is their color management system. By sorting strings by color and controlling the ratio of red, green, and blue inputs into their reactor, they can produce different color outputs without additional dyeing—eliminating the roughly 30 gallons of water typically used per kilogram of fabric in the dyeing process.
This spring, the team created their first lines of fiber and will showcase them at BU’s Innovators’ Night on April 16th, where the Orobor team will pitch in the final round of the New Venture Competition. Having proven they can create fibers strong enough for fabric production, they’re now collaborating with UMass Lowell to create yarn and with Draper Knitting Company, one of Massachusetts’ last remaining fabric mills, to create garments.
“It’s all going to be within a 20-mile radius versus the thousands of miles that clothing usually ships across the world,” Jakob points out.
While tennis strings are the initial focus, the founders see a path to broader impact. Only 1% of textiles worldwide are currently recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills or, in some cases, creating environmental hazards in places like coastal Africa.
“After we solve this problem and show that our model works, we want to move to textile-to-textile recycling as well,” Jakob says, noting they’ve already demonstrated the capability in lab settings.
This summer, Orobor will begin testing the market through collaborations with niche tennis brands interested in incorporating their sustainable fabric into clothing lines.
For Jakob and Jonah, the venture represents more than just a business opportunity—it’s a chance to address a problem they’ve noticed throughout their tennis careers. As Division I athletes who’ve played the sport since childhood, they bring both passion and firsthand understanding to their work.
As Orobor continues to grow beyond its humble beginnings in Jonah’s basement (where they’ve already collected over 5,000 pounds of strings), the founders are excited to join Innovate@BU’s Summer Accelerator program, where they’ll benefit from mentorship and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.
“Being around people who are trying to succeed and push each other is an amazing opportunity,” Jonah says, drawing parallels to his experience as an athlete. “When I was practicing with players who were intense and serious about their goals, I always played better.”
