The Düsseldorf-based Group engages in an investment fund focused on sustainable packaging.
Henkel is investing in a sustainable packaging fund run by venture capital firm Emerald Technology Ventures (Zurich, Switzerland). The fund aims to drive forward the development of advanced materials and industrial technologies for sustainable packaging. With the investment, Henkel reportedly will gain access to numerous startups as a limited partner, as well as evaluations and analyses of several thousand innovations for sustainable packaging. "Packaging solutions are one of our core businesses and sustainability has been an integral part of our strategy to create value for our customers for decades," said Paolo Bavaj, Head of Corporate Venturing at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. "During our collaboration over the past years, we have already gotten to know Emerald's strong and diverse team of experts. We are therefore convinced that they are the right partner to gain access to a wideSpectrum of start-ups in areas ranging from material and technology innovations to recycling solutions." The Emerald Packaging Fund is the first and so far only venture capital-backed investment fund focused on the entire lifecycle of packaging, is said. Fund capital will be invested in the categories of raw materials with a low environmental footprint, functional and smart materials, design for reuse and recycling, collection, sorting, cleaning and recycling technologies, according to Henkel. Emerald said it has many years of experience in industrial technologies and advanced materials, as well as a broad network of startups. The Sustainable Packaging Solutions Fund highlights the packaging industry's increasingly important role in the transition to a circular, low-carbon economy, says Emerald's Gina Domanig.