The investments will enable Swedish start-up Yangi to ramp up commercialization of its manufacturing technology for sustainable packaging. Centered on dry-forming, it can notably be used for beauty and cosmetics packs.
French luxury brand Chanel and German company Voith Group have acquired minority stakes in Swedish start-up Yangi. The investment will support Yangi's R&D and scale its dry forming technology and next-generation fiber-based packaging solutions. A combination of airlaid formation and fast pressing, the technology is said to require 75% less energy consumption than wet molding, with Co2 emissions that are 75% lower versus plastic production.
The investment will also help Yangi develop new business areas. “With our partners, we are pushing the boundaries on what the technology can reach,” Yangi tells Formes de Luxe. “Today, Yangi allows bespoke designs, with relatively steep angles, and detailed patterns matching both high-volume production as well as niche segments including take-away, fresh food and dairy, hardware and electronics, beauty and cosmetics.”
Chanel and Voith join fellow Yangi shareholders Turret Oy, a privately-owned investment company, and tech accelerator FutureLab & Partners. Chanel also has stakes in materials specialists including Sulapac and Authentic Material.
Voith's technology is structured into three divisions, Hydro, Paper and Turbo. "Voith's expertise as the leading full-line supplier in the paper industry and Yangi's expertise in dry processing of fibers open new doors for innovative solutions. Fiber-based packaging is a sustainable alternative to plastic and will continue to gain relevance," Michael Weiss, CTO of Voith Paper, said in a statement.
Yangi recently teamed up with Swedish paperboard producer Holmen Iggesund to develop alternatives to rigid plastic packaging in cosmetics, exploring solutions such as refills, testers and travel products.
