Portfolio news 0

Press Release Summary

• More than 6 million Euro Investment to Fuel Growth and Innovation in Reuse: Vytal secures significant funding led by Emerald Technology Ventures to expand its tech platform for circular reusable packaging
• Addressing a Major Environmental Issue: The EU is drowning in waste with 66 billion single-use food and drink containers wasted annually and implementing regulations such as the PPWR to push the transition to reuse
• Expansion and Tech-driven Value Creation: Investment supports Vytal's expansion into new markets such as the event and entertainment industry and the advancement of its operating system digitizing the circular value chain of reusable packaging.

Cologne, 28.06.2024 - VYTAL Global GmbH, the leading provider of software-enabled reusable packaging solutions, is announcing its recent growth financing round. The round was led by Emerald Technology Ventures through its Sustainable Packaging Innovation Fund with participation from Ventis. Existing investors Grazia Equity, Kiko Ventures, and Rubio also contributed further growth capital, reinforcing their commitment to Vytal’s mission to foster the circular economy by using technology and data to maximize the value of reusables.

The new funding enables Vytal to accelerate its efforts in transforming the packaging industry. 66 Billion single-us food and drink containers are wasted annually in the EU and regulations such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are pushing the industry towards a Circular Economy. With a strong focus on sustainability and efficiency, Vytal’s technology platform is designed to replace single-use packaging with innovative reusable solutions that create value for all stakeholders along the circular value chain of reusables – including raw material suppliers, consumers and professional cleaning hubs.

Dr. Tim Breker, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Vytal, expresses his enthusiasm about the new partnership, stating, "We’re thrilled to take on board Emerald, a very experienced investor with a phenomenal network of corporate partners. Transforming the packaging industry towards circularity is a massive business opportunity and Vytal’s technology platform is positioned to win. We have established ourselves as thought leaders in the field and are looking forward to accelerating our collaboration with various industry partners. We understand the conditions under which reuse outperforms single-use and focus on leveraging software and data to maximize the economic benefits of reusables for all our customers and across use cases.”

Within dense networks and in closed loops the advantages of reusable over single-use are particularly prominent. Corporate and university campuses, business districts, airports, city centers, shopping malls, trade fairs, festivals and other event & entertainment venues can easily switch to Vytal-powered reusable packaging saving valuable resources, while decreasing costs. Additionally, Vytal operates an open system of reusable packaging across restaurants and canteens in 17 countries, allowing consumers to borrow and return high-quality reusable containers from and to thousands of partner locations for free.

In a large-scale pilot of Vytal’s wholly-owned subsidiary Vytal Events & Entertainment Solutions GmbH at this year’s OMR Festival in Hamburg, 70,000 event participants enjoyed all their ready-to-consume food and drinks from Vytal’s smart reusables. Thanks to Vytal’s individually traceable cups and food containers, handling reusables becomes highly efficient, saving considerable time during checkout and allowing for unmanned return processes cutting down on staff needs for organizers and waiting times for consumers. Professional washing centers equally benefit from Vytal’s RFID-equipped reusable containers, e.g. enabling automated instead of manual container counting.

“Unmanned checkout and return handling as well as transparent data collection and automated processes along the circular value chain are key to completely eliminating single-use packaging from the life of our B2B customers and end consumers. We foresee a future, in which reuse is the default food and drink packaging on campuses, inside the Quick Service Restaurant industry and across the event & entertainment industry”, highlights Dr.Josephine Kreische, Managing Director of VYTAL Events & Entertainment Solutions and VYTAL Global responsible for the Tech, Product and Marketing teams.

Fredric Petit, Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures, adds “the Vytal management team has combined great visionary and strategic thinking with strong execution power. Vytal’s solution perfectly aligns with our conviction regarding reusable packaging. In a recent Emerald Packaging Sprint with our corporate partners, we concluded that software and data are the key value drivers of reuse, so we’re very excited to join the Vytal team on their mission to scale the adoption of reuse by leveraging technology to unlock its economic and ecological benefits.”

Vytal will use the investment to continue its expansion into new markets and to further develop its software and data-driven offerings for all stakeholders along the circular value chain of reusable packaging.

About VYTAL Global GmbH

VYTAL Global GmbH is dedicated to eliminating single-use packaging through its advanced reusable solutions. Leveraging cutting-edge software and data analytics, Vytal provides efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable packaging options that benefit businesses and the environment alike. Vytal’s data model is internationally recognized by the Harvard Business Review and the company has established itself as a pioneer in the industry, leading the change towards the circular economy. Vytal collaborates with 7000+ partners in 17 countries worldwide to reduce the use of single-use packaging and promote sustainable alternatives.

About VYTAL Events & Entertainment Solutions GmbH

Vytal recently launched VyEES (VYTAL Events & Entertainment Solutions GmbH), a wholly-owned subsidiary aimed at extending its reusable packaging solutions to the events and entertainment industry. This initiative underscores Vytal’s commitment to sustainability across various sectors, providing innovative solutions that meet the needs of large-scale events and entertainment venues. Noticeable customers of VyEES include the Berlinale, the Online Marketing Rockstar “OMR” Festival and the Cruilla Music Festival in Barcelona.

About Emerald Technology Ventures

Emerald is a globally recognized venture capital firm founded in 2000, that manages and advises assets of over €1 billion from its offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. The firm invests in start-ups that tackle big challenges in climate change and sustainability, with 4 current funds, hundreds of venture transactions and four third-party investment mandates, including loan guarantees to over 100 start-ups. Bold Ideas. Bright Future.

For Media Inquiries:

[email protected]