The Group Fedrigoni has announced the acquisition of a minority stake in Papkot, a startup that has developed the first large-scale paper coating technology with the same properties as plastic, rReplacing silicon and cellulose with a nanostructured material that eliminates plastic from single-use packaging.
The agreement of Fedrigoni Fedrigoni and Papkot are part of the corporate venture capital programme that the company has launched to identify startups with the potential to change the industry and become industrially scalable realities. Together, Fedrigoni and Papkot will accelerate the deployment of Papkot’s technology worldwide, ensuring that leading FMCG and F&B brands have access to high-performance, fully recyclable and biodegradable packaging solutions on a large scale. This investment secures a leading position in the next generation of fibre-based packaging materials, which is expected to capture a significant share of the global flexible packaging market.
Papkot, founded in 2020 by Manuel Milliery, who is also its CEO, has quickly become a Key reference in high-performance plastic-free coatingsWith R&D centres in France and China, and manufacturing partnerships in France, the US and China, Papkot is already supplying major global food and consumer brands. Papkot’s advanced barrier technology offers high resistance to water, grease, oil and even glycerol, as well as possessing properties such as transparency or other customised surface characteristics essential for packaging applications. All while being fully recyclable and free of harmful substances such as PFAS. Papkot coatings have been validated on a wide range of paper substrates, including virgin and recycled fibres. Ongoing industrial trials are further expanding compatibility to meet the diverse needs of converters and brand owners.
The applications that can be made with this proprietary technology are diverse, from single-use containers and food wrappers, to fire-retardant or transparent papers, or disposable cups. Papkot uses a model based on artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop customized solutions for customers, measure materials performance, and drive rapid, data-driven innovation.
“This investment has enormous potential for Fedrigoni” – he confirms Marco Nespolo, CEO of the Fedrigoni Group – “We will have the opportunity to acquire a disruptive technology in the Plastic-to-Fiber field that will allow us to increasingly support our customers in their efforts to develop mono-material and fully recyclable packaging. Furthermore, Fedrigoni will play a key role in accelerating the industrialization phase, which is essential for the scalability of Papkot’s business model.”
“This advanced technology is synergistic with Fedrigoni’s specialty papers and self-adhesive materials businesses (in addition to the barrier coating, this solution allows replacing the label liner, normally made of silicon, with a fully recyclable material)” – he comments. Fulvio Capussotti, Executive Vice President of Fedrigoni Special Papers, RFID and Innovation and Chief Sustainability Officer of Fedrigoni Group. – “It also represents an accelerator in the Group’s innovation processes and is consistent with its ESG strategy for 2030, which aims for 100% of materials to be designed for optimal recyclability and recovery at the end of their useful life.”
“Since 2020, we have been on a mission to eliminate plastic from packaging and from our daily lives. We welcome our new strategic investor and partner” – he adds Manuel Milliery, CEO of Papkot – “With Fedrigoni, we share a commitment to sustainability, high standards, attention to detail and continuous improvement. The injection of new capital and the Group’s global network will allow us to boost our path of international growth and investment in research and development.”
