VELCRO - Innovator of hook and loop closures

Who invented the VELCRO® brand hook and loop? It all started with a burdock whose tiny seeds are wrapped in hundreds of "hooks" that naturally cling to the microscopic loops of fur, hair or clothing. Burdock was nothing more than a miracle of nature - until one day in 1941 when, on a hunting trip in the Alps, the paths of burdock, Swiss engineer George de Mestral and his dog crossed. Inspired by burdock's adhesive properties, de Mestral developed the world's first hook-and-loop fastener. 

Originally, de Mestral only envisioned this fastener for use on clothing. Today, however, it is used in a wide range of applications, from healthcare to garden sheds and the military. Although each product of the VELCRO® brand is adapted to a specific task, the basic mechanism always remains the same. It's ultimately this: the VELCRO® brand solutions that keep your tablet stuck to the wall are based on the same principle as those used by NASA to keep plates in place in weightless space.

Over 300 active patents worldwide are symptomatic of Velcro's innovative tradition and its ability to meet the needs of its customers.

The Velcro Group Innovation and Technology Centre is a worldwide organisation that meets the needs of the global marketplace by developing products and processes in woven and knitted textiles, as well as non-interrupted injection moulding, non-woven fleece and a range of other closure technologies.

Velcro is the original patent holder of US patent 2,717,437, filed on 15 October 1952.