Independent footprint software startup Pickler has raised €500,000 in a funding round and aims to help packaging companies calculate, share, and reduce their emissions effectively, as well as overcome greenwashing in sales and marketing.
Shamrock Ventures led the funding round, which was supported by existing angel investor and early-stage startup investor APX.vc.
Pickler’s software combines an accessible Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based methodology with intuitive packaging-focused predictive algorithms and an auto-updated data system that amends itself based on value chain data changes. It hopes to enable packaging producers, distributors, and retailers to provide transparent data in line with the Green Claims Directive, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSDR), and other EU legislation.
Companies can compare materials, processes, products, and portfolios, which can then be supplemented by suppliers and shared with customers. In turn, the information can be used to help create and communicate accurate environmental evidence for packaging designs, as well as distinguish themselves from market competitors.
The software is said to be user-friendly and enable users with any professional background to calculate, compare, and share information across the full life cycle of a product – thus helping companies and their customers align themselves with environmental laws. It can apparently generate LCAs at a lower cost than other methods, even in circumstances where supplier data is scarce.
Reportedly, Pickler itself aligns with the Green Claims Directive, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets, and other legislation designed to combat greenwashing. It has also collaborated with the foundation Sustainability Impact Metrics – a spin-off of the Technical University Delft – in a bid to solidify the independence and credibility of its methodology, database, and results.
This finance round will help Pickler scale up its commercial offering and accelerate the growth of its software users; and, in turn, the company hopes to achieve an EU-wide target of reducing CO2-eq emissions by 55%.
“This successful funding round in a challenging funding climate proves investors believe in the business opportunities product footprint reduction will bring within the upcoming 5 years,” says Pickler’s co-founder, Koen de Beer. “Together with frontrunners in the packaging industry, we proudly prove that having a transparent story about the environmental impact of their products results in a positive business case with a short return on investment.
“With this investment round, we can reach even more companies in the packaging industry and help them effectively reduce emissions in their value chain.”
“Pickler’s unique software and take on making product footprint calculations accessible and profitable for packaging businesses is much needed,” adds Tommy Hurley, managing partner at Shamrock Ventures. “We are thrilled to support Pickler in its mission to help the packaging industry achieve the 55% CO2-eq EU reduction target for 2030.”
A similar development came late last year when not-for-profit packaging data-sharing platform GING was launched. Its cloud-based software aims to enable users to store and share data on packaging along their supply chains in a quick, user-friendly and secure way.
Furthermore, Recyda received €1.75 million in funding to expand on its all-in-one software solution for the management and sustainability evaluation of companies’ packaging portfolios. It was later nominated for a Sustainability Award under the commercialized Driving the Circular Economy category.
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