Technological watch

As part of its corporate venture capital activities, Henkel Adhesive Technologies has committed to invest in a new packaging fund launched by Emerald Technology Ventures (Emerald), a Zurich, Switzerland-based venture capital firm. According to Henkel, Emerald has longstanding experience in industrial technology and advanced materials, a well-established role linking conglomerates with startups, and a track record of strong returns for limited partners. Focused on catalyzing sustainable low-carbon solutions in the packaging sector, the fund will provide Henkel as a limited partner an annual deal flow of several hundred startups and exposure to thousands of innovative solutions.

Henkel Adhesive Technologies aims to pioneer new solutions for sustainable development focusing on CO2 reduction, circular economy, and safety. In its packaging businesses, Henkel reports that it launches new products that help reduce emissions and enable circular solutions through compatibility with recycling, debonding, new designs, and sustainable raw materials and that improve the safety of products (e.g., in the food industry).

â??Packaging is among our core businesses at Henkel and sustainability has been an integral part of our strategy for decades,â? said Paolo Bavaj, head of Corporate Venturing for Henkel Adhesive Technologies. â??Over the course of our partnership with Emerald, we have become familiar with their skilled and diversified team of experts. We are convinced that they are a strong partner who can help us gain access to startups in a broad variety of fields, from material and technology innovation to recycling improvement. We see excellent overlap between Henkelâ??s ambition to lead with sustainable solutions and Emeraldâ??s capabilities.â?

The Emerald packaging fund reportedly aims to catalyze leaps in advanced materials and industrial technologies for sustainable packaging that will both benefit the planet and earn significant returns. The fund will target investments in the categories of low-footprint feedstocks; functional and smart materials; design for reuse and recycle; collection, sorting, cleaning, and recycling technologies; digital and connected solutions; and new business models.

â??The fund is a recognition that the packaging industry plays an increasingly proactive role in the shift toward a circular, low-carbon economy,â? said Emerald Managing Partner Gina Domanig. â??As we reimagine the future of packaging, weâ??re excited to join with giants of the global industrial landscape in a mission to supercharge the technologies that will make that transformation a success.â?

For more information, visit www.henkel.com and www.emerald-ventures.com.