Our story & timeline
Material science to protect lives and livelihoods
Building on a legacy of textile innovation
Vestergaard began in 1957 as a family-run sewing business in Denmark. Over the decades our work evolved, and in the 1990s, we completed a pivot from traditional textiles to the development of life-saving interventions. In the decades since, we have applied our material science expertise to address urgent public health and development challenges—including malaria prevention, sleeping sickness, agricultural pests and food security.
Today our social enterprise is headquartered in Switzerland, with manufacturing and quality testing operations in Vietnam. We have teams across Africa and globally, with facilities including a vector control research laboratory in Ghana, and our R&D is led from the USA. Our PermaNet® insecticide-treated mosquito nets are a mainstay of global malaria elimination programmes, and our crop protection products safeguard harvests across Africa and beyond.
We have been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2006 and a certified B Corporation™ since 2021.
Vestergaard is part of the Vestergaard Frandsen Group, which also comprises LifeStraw and Sceye.
Key milestones
From insecticide-treated bed nets to next-generation pest control, our focus is on applying science to develop practical, locally relevant products that protect health, strengthen food security, and support communities.
2025
Vestergaard signs Kigali Declaration
In signing the Kigali Declaration on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), Vestergaard formalizes an ongoing commitment to donate up to 150,000 Tiny Targets every year to help achieve the 2030 elimination target for sleeping sickness as set out in the World Health Organization roadmap for NTDs.
2024
Nigeria manufacturing initiative for regional production
A partnership between Vestergaard and the Nigerian government is announced to establish the first West African manufacturing facility for next-generation, dual active-ingredient mosquito nets. This state-of-the-art facility will produce 10 million PermaNet Dual nets annually, enhancing local capacity and supporting malaria prevention efforts across the region.
B Corp recertification with increased impact score
We achieve B Corp recertification with a 22% increase in our B Impact Assessment score, reflecting our ongoing commitment to social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
2023
Launch of our first dual active-ingredient net
PermaNet® Dual, our first mosquito net combining a pyrethroid with chlorfenapyr to address increasing insecticide resistance in malaria vectors, is prequalified by the World Health Organization. It builds on strong evidence supporting this dual active-ingredient combination and expands options for malaria prevention in areas of high insecticide resistance.
One billion nets distributed
We mark the production and delivery of one billion mosquito nets, a milestone that reflects long-standing collaboration and commitment with partners and communities in pursuit of malaria elimination.
2021
B Corp Certification
Vestergaard becomes a Certified B Corporation™, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The certification reinforces our long-standing commitment to responsible business practices and measurable impact.
Proof-of-concept for recycled mosquito nets
Vestergaard verifies the technology for mosquito nets made from 100% recycled polyester (rPET). This marks an early step for the industry towards reducing plastic waste in net production and advancing more sustainable malaria prevention solutions.
Boosting smallholder livelihoods
GroR® is introduced as a trading platform designed to enhance stability and boost incomes for smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa, by integrating innovative storage technologies with strategic planning and partnerships.
2020
LifeStraw becomes an independent company
Originally developed under the Vestergaard umbrella to provide protection from unsafe water, LifeStraw is now a separate company. LifeStraw continues its long-standing collaboration with the Carter Center to support Guinea worm disease eradication.
2015
Tackling sleeping sickness with Tiny Targets
With partners including the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Vestergaard introduces Tiny Targets as a cost-effective, insecticide-treated tool that reduces the tsetse fly population and interrupts transmission of sleeping sickness in support of national efforts to eliminate this neglected tropical disease.
Protecting harvests and preserving livelihoods
ZeroFly® storage bags an insecticide-incorporated technology designed to support farmers in protecting crops, livestock, and stored food—are introduced to contribute to food security and economic resilience in low-resource settings.
2012
Mapping insecticide resistance
Vestergaard and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), collaborate to launch IR Mapper, a digital platform that consolidates and maps data on insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. This tool supports national malaria control programmes and researchers by improving access to timely geospatial data for informed decision-making.
2011
Vestergaard–Noguchi Vector Labs established
In partnership with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research in Ghana, the Vestergaard–Noguchi Vector Labs strengthen local capacity in insecticide-resistance monitoring and support evidence-based vector control across West Africa.
2009
Emusanda Health Centre opens community clinic
Through building and financing a community clinic at Emusanda Health Centre in western Kenya to support HIV prevention and care, Vestergaard expands access to testing and treatment in a region heavily affected by the epidemic. Health tools including PermaNet mosquito nets are bundled and distributed as part of an integrated care package.
2008
First steps to address rising insecticide resistance
PermaNet® 3.0, the first mosquito net to include PBO to help address rising insecticide resistance, receives World Health Organization recommendation. Designed with a strengthened roof panel, it builds on our focus on research-driven solutions for effective malaria prevention.
2006
Commitment to the UN Global Compact
Vestergaard becomes part of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.
2004
First long-lasting insecticidal nets deployed at scale
PermaNet® 2.0 is introduced, our first mosquito net offering up to 3 years of protection against malaria without the need for net retreatment every 6–12 months. Following World Health Organization recommendation, it is rapidly deployed at scale across malaria-endemic countries.
1997
New leadership with an entrepreneurial mindset
Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen takes the helm, bringing a social entrepreneurial approach that combines humanitarian purpose with innovative, market-driven solutions.
1992
Adopting a humanitarian focus
Under Torben Vestergaard, the company begins moving beyond hospitality textiles, laying the groundwork for future innovations in global health.
1966
Transition to manufacturing
Kaj adds sewing equipment to focus solely on manufacturing.
1957
Where it started
Danish farmer Kaj Vestergaard Frandsen establishes a textile weaving company run by family members using six weaving looms.