Köln-based Vytal leads the way in reusable packaging with €6.2M growth funding

Köln-based Vytal, a leading provider of software-enabled reusable packaging solutions, has raised €6.2 million in a growth funding round.

The round was led by Emerald Technology’s Sustainable Packaging Innovation Fund, with participation from Ventis. Existing investors Kiko Ventures, Grazia Equity, and Rubio also contributed, demonstrating their commitment to Vytal’s mission of promoting the circular economy through the use of technology and data to maximize the value of reusable items.

The new funding will allow Vytal to accelerate its efforts to transform the packaging industry by expanding into new markets and further developing its software and data-driven offerings. The EU wastes over 60 billion single-use food and drink containers each year, and regulations like the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) are pushing the industry toward a Circular Economy.

Vytal’s technology platform is replacing single-use packaging with innovative reusable solutions for businesses such as corporate and university campuses, business districts, airports, city centers, shopping malls, trade fairs, festivals, events, and entertainment facilities.

Vytal-powered reusable packaging saves valuable resources, reduces costs, and adds value for all reusable circular value chain stakeholders, including raw material suppliers, consumers, and professional cleaning hubs.

Vytal’s subsidiary, Vytal Events & Entertainment Solutions GmbH, conducted a large-scale pilot at this year’s OMR Festival in Hamburg, with 70,000 event participants enjoying all of their ready-to-consume food and drinks from Vytal’s smart reusables. Handling reusables becomes highly efficient with Vytal’s individually traceable cups and food containers, saving significant time during checkout and returns, and reducing organizer staff needs and consumer wait times. Professional laundry facilities benefit equally from Vytal’s RFID-enabled reusable containers, allowing automated rather than manual container counting.

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Vytal also operates an open reusable packaging system across restaurants and canteens in 17 countries, allowing customers to borrow and return high-quality reusable containers for free from thousands of partner locations.

Dr. Tim Breker, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Vytal, said:

“We’re excited to welcome Emerald, a very experienced investor with a phenomenal network of corporate partners. Transforming the packaging industry towards circularity represents a massive business opportunity, and Vytal’s technology platform is well-positioned to capitalize. We have established ourselves as thought leaders in the field and are excited to expand our collaboration with various industry partners. We understand the conditions under which reuse outperforms single-use, and we focus on using software and data to maximize the economic benefits of reusables for all of our customers and use cases.”

Dr. Josephine Kreische, MD of VYTAL Events & Entertainment Solutions and VYTAL Global, stated:

“Unmanned checkout and return handling, as well as transparent data collection and automated processes along the circular value chain, are critical to removing single-use packaging from the lives of our B2B customers and end users. We envision a future in which reuse is the default food and drink packaging on campuses, within the Quick Service Restaurant industry, and throughout the event and entertainment industry.”

Fredric Petit, Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures, said:

“The Vytal management team has combined great visionary and strategic thinking with strong execution power. Vytal’s solution perfectly aligns with our beliefs about 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 thrilled to join the Vytal team on their mission to increase reuse adoption by leveraging technology to unlock its economic and environmental benefits.”

Image Credit: Vytal