The protective packaging around a new product does not have to start with plastic. PaperFoam, a company based in Barneveld in the Netherlands, makes packaging from starch and natural fibers. It has secured a €2 million loan to expand its Czech factory and support day-to-day operations at plants in Malaysia and the United States. The lender, Invest International, is a Dutch government-backed organization supporting international business.
PaperFoam says its material is compostable and its fibers can be recycled into paper. It already serves electronics, medical, food, and cosmetics customers, and the financing is intended to expand production further. Its lender describes a difficult journey from promising technology to international manufacturing—and says traditional financiers still consider the next stage too risky.
Source · eu-startups.com ↗
