Movopack, a start-up that provides e-commerce platforms with reusable and sustainable packaging, announces that it has closed a EUR 2.3 million funding round led by the Italian-French fund 360 Capital, in which the Austrians of Greiner Innoventures and the US incubator Techstars also participated.
This funding will allow Movopack to start operations in the UK, the company’s first expansion outside of Italy, helping to address the crisis of growing packaging waste, where an estimated 1.7 billion plastic components are thrown away every week. As the EU introduces legislation requiring 10% of e-commerce packaging to be reusable by 2030, rising to 50% by 2040, Movopack offers the e-commerce world cost-effective, returnable and customisable packaging solutions. The expansion into the UK marks an important milestone, as UK brands are increasingly focusing on approaches that are in line with growing consumer demand for sustainable solutions.
The start-up was founded in Milan by Tomaso Torriani (CEO), Alberto Cisco (CCO) and Andrea Cipollone (COO), pictured, who studied and analysed the environmental impact of single-use e-commerce packaging and the lack of sustainable and affordable alternatives.
Movopack’s packaging, made from recycled plastic bottles (rPET) and recycled woven polypropylene (PP), is designed to support postal logistics and can be reused by retailers up to 20 times. Compared to standard e-commerce packaging, which is typically disposable cardboard boxes with 70% recycled content, each Movopack package, when reused 20 times, offers significant environmental benefits. This sustainable alternative reduces Co₂ emissions by 84%, energy consumption by 80% and water consumption by 76%, according to a life cycle assessment conducted by Life Cycle Engineering.
The launch of Movopack in the UK will allow consumers to easily return packaging through the extensive Royal Mail postal system, which offers access to 115,000 post boxes across the country, enabling easy reuse of packaging.
Tomaso Torriani, CEO and co-founder of Movopack, comments in a note: “This round confirms the growing interest in Movopack’s potential to transform the e-commerce sector with sustainable and circular packaging solutions. We are particularly excited about this round because it allows us to launch our solution in the UK at a time when demand for sustainable solutions is very strong and growing. Consumers and brands are looking for effective solutions to contribute to a world where they can grow and prosper without compromising the environment. We at Movopack are working to meet this need and to make sustainability not just an option, but a standard in e-commerce”.
Lucrezia Lucotti, partner at 360 Capital, adds: “Sustainable e-commerce packaging is a topic of central importance to companies and consumers who are looking for new solutions to traditionally outdated, unsustainable and poorly digitised offerings. Our investment in Movopack is betting on this vision and with the UK launch we believe the company is well positioned to help more and more brands adopt a more ‘circular’ and efficient approach.”
Lukas Seemann, senior investment manager at Greiner Innoventures, says: “Our investment in Movopack reflects our commitment to fostering innovation in the packaging sector, particularly in offering sustainable solutions. By backing Movopack, we are investing in a promising startup dedicated to reusable packaging solutions, which aligns with our strategic focus on circular economy initiatives.”
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