PulpaTronics, an innovative company developing sustainable, cost-effective RFID tags for inventory solutions that reduce environmental impact, is excited to announce the successful close of a £430k pre-seed funding round.
The round was led by Sustainable Ventures with co-investment from NextSTEP (venture fund of NextEnergy Group), the RCA Design and Innovation S/EIS Fund, Cranfield Seed Fund, molecules.vc, Suzannah Steele, Thomas Plein, Adam Taylor, and Pierre Paslier.
The funds will be used to deliver the company’s mission to deliver fully recyclable, metal-free and chipless RFID tags to track single-use items. The global RFID market will reach $36 billion by the end of the decade and with 40 billion RFID tags ending up in landfill as e-waste every year, this provides a major opportunity for PulpaTronics to positively impact this industry. PulpaTronics’ innovative technology eliminates these harmful components by laser-inducing conductive circuits on paper, providing a sustainable, cost-effective alternative that integrates with existing recycling processes. This technology allows retailers to manage inventory more efficiently and sustainably while reducing both environmental impact and costs.
“We are thrilled to announce the closing of our pre-seed funding round. We are grateful to all the investors who have joined us on our journey. This investment not only kickstarts the growth of our vision but also empowers us to accelerate our R&D for commercialisation so that we can do our part to make an impactful contribution towards climate change.”
– Chloe So, Co-founder & CEO
PulpaTronics’ technology is designed to meet the growing demand in the retail industry for eco-friendly solutions. The company is in advanced discussions with leading retailers and packaging manufacturers to pilot its hybrid RFID tags. With scale, PulpaTronics’ RFID tags will provide additional cost savings and enhanced recyclability, setting a new standard for sustainable product identification.
The new funds will enable PulpaTronics to accelerate product development, launch pilot programs with industry leaders, and expand its operations to cater to new use cases.
“When assessing PulpaTronics, it was clear that they are a well rounded founding team with a clear vision that had enabled them to bring impressive experts and brands onside extremely early in their journey, while also innovating in an established but technically sedentary sector allowing for sizeable impact at scale.”
– Josh Armistead-Wood, Sustainable Ventures
PulpaTronics was co-founded by CEO Chloe So, who has helped over 15 startups strategize around product-market fit during her time at a venture capital accelerator in NYC. She holds a dual master’s degree from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. Co-founder and CTO Barna Soma Biro specialises in turning science and research into innovative product and development. He also holds a dual-masters from Imperial College and the Royal College of Art and a bachelor’s degree from Imperial College.
PulpaTronics’ commitment to sustainable innovation has also garnered international recognition including awards from Dezeen, IDEAs, IET Excellence and Innovation, Red Dot, Green Alley, Mayor’s Entrepreneur Competition, and The Sustainability Awards.
“Our investment in PulpaTronics perfectly aligns with our commitment to fostering innovative solutions that address pressing environmental challenges. By revolutionizing the RFID industry with sustainable, metal-free technology, PulpaTronics demonstrates the kind of bold, impactful innovation we aim to support at the earliest stages,”said Claudio Colombo, Managing Director at NextSTEP. NextSTEP (NextEnergy Sustainable Technology for the Planet) is an investment initiative promoted by NextEnergy Group dedicated to pre-seed and seed investments in CleanTech startups.
“We are thrilled to support PulpaTronics in their innovative vision for metal-less RFID tags. Their cutting-edge technology holds immense potential across a variety of industries tackling the $18 billion RFID market. Chloe and Barna’s innovative product will have a tremendous impact by reducing the industry’s footprint whilst providing a cheaper and recyclable solution.”
– Carlos Martinez, Co-founder of molecules.vc.
About PulpaTronics
PulpaTronics develops fully recyclable chipless and metal-free RFID tags that are more sustainable and cost effective. Founded in 2023, the company’s mission is to provide businesses with more sustainable and affordable inventory solutions, while preserving more of our world’s resources. For more information, visit www.pulpatronics.com.
We are looking to build out our commercial board of advisors as well as our commercial pipeline, so please reach out to hello@pulpatronics.com if you are interested in collaborating with us.
For more information, visit www.pulpatronics.com.
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