Hamburg \u2014 The two foun\u00adders Dr. Anne Lamp and Johanna Baare (photo) of Circu\u00adlar Bioe\u00adco\u00adnomy startup trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals were able to convince three inves\u00adtors in their first round of finan\u00adcing: Planet A, High-Tech Gr\u00fcn\u00adder\u00adfonds (HTGF) and b.value AG. Thus, trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals secu\u00adres a single-digit million invest\u00adment only seven months after its foundation.<\/p>\n
Hamburg-based startup trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals has deve\u00adlo\u00adped a holi\u00adstic sustainable mate\u00adrial as an alter\u00adna\u00adtive for plas\u00adtics and biopla\u00ads\u00adtics. The inno\u00adva\u00adtive mate\u00adrial is fully compost\u00ada\u00adble \u2014 even when it unin\u00adten\u00adtio\u00adnally ends up in nature \u2014 and thus contri\u00adbu\u00adtes to solving global plas\u00adtic pollu\u00adtion. For the female foun\u00adding team, the funding is the corner\u00adstone to bring their inno\u00adva\u00adtive new mate\u00adrial to market to solve global plas\u00adtic pollution.<\/p>\n
85% of all plas\u00adtics produ\u00adced world\u00adwide are still in land\u00adfills or floa\u00adting in our oceans. The result is signi\u00adfi\u00adcant envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal and marine pollu\u00adtion, with unima\u00adgi\u00adned conse\u00adquen\u00adces for humans, animals and our planet. One of the EU\u2019s stated goals in its Plas\u00adtics Stra\u00adtegy is to ensure that all plas\u00adtic pack\u00ada\u00adging must be recy\u00adclable or reusable by 2030. For products that can easily end up in the envi\u00adron\u00adment, howe\u00adver, some\u00adthing more is needed: mate\u00adri\u00adals that can be degra\u00added in nature in the shor\u00adtest possi\u00adble time and, above all, comple\u00adtely. This is exactly what trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals deals with. The speci\u00adally deve\u00adlo\u00adped, inno\u00adva\u00adtive tech\u00adno\u00adlogy makes it possi\u00adble for the first time to produce storage-stable films, solid mate\u00adri\u00adals and ultra-thin coatings from by-products of the agri\u00adcul\u00adtu\u00adral indus\u00adtry, which offer the advan\u00adta\u00adge\u00adous proper\u00adties of plas\u00adtics and yet are fully compost\u00ada\u00adble in nature.<\/p>\n
While trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals are made from bio-based raw mate\u00adri\u00adals, they do not conflict with food produc\u00adtion or contri\u00adbute to land use change. Unlike conven\u00adtio\u00adnal (bio)plastics, they require no harmful addi\u00adti\u00adves, solvents or chemi\u00adcals and have up to 87% lower CO2 emis\u00adsi\u00adons. Since they are neither chemi\u00adcally modi\u00adfied nor synthe\u00adti\u00adcally poly\u00adme\u00adri\u00adzed, trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals are not expec\u00adted to fall under the EU Plas\u00adtics Direc\u00adtive. Quali\u00adta\u00adtively, the mate\u00adri\u00adals are alre\u00adady compe\u00adti\u00adtive with conven\u00adtio\u00adnal plas\u00adtics and biopla\u00ads\u00adtics. Produ\u00adced on an indus\u00adtrial produc\u00adtion scale, they will also be able to compete with conven\u00adtio\u00adnal plas\u00adtics in terms of price. This makes trace\u00adl\u00adess a solu\u00adtion for people all over the world, in all walks of life and income levels.<\/p>\n
The foun\u00adders will use the invest\u00adment to build and expand the core team and to advance the cons\u00adtruc\u00adtion of a pilot plant. This will scale up produc\u00adtion from labo\u00adra\u00adtory scale to produce suffi\u00adci\u00adent mate\u00adrial and bring the first pilot products to market in early 2022. Compa\u00adnies from the consu\u00admer goods indus\u00adtry as well as pack\u00ada\u00adging and plas\u00adtics proces\u00adsing compa\u00adnies are alre\u00adady show\u00ading great inte\u00adrest in the novel mate\u00adri\u00adals. Legis\u00adla\u00adtive pres\u00adsure, incre\u00adasing custo\u00admer demand and the urgency to stop the nega\u00adtive impact of plas\u00adtic on the envi\u00adron\u00adment create a unique situa\u00adtion for trace\u00adl\u00adess to change the plas\u00adtics market in a sustainable way.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on Planet A\u2019s scien\u00adti\u00adfic impact assess\u00adment, we are confi\u00addent that trace\u00adl\u00adess\u2019 unique solu\u00adtion has the poten\u00adtial to make a signi\u00adfi\u00adcant contri\u00adbu\u00adtion to solving global plas\u00adtic pollu\u00adtion and sustain\u00adably trans\u00adform the plas\u00adtics market,\u201d said Tobias Seikel, co-foun\u00adder and part\u00adner at Planet A.<\/p>\n
Dr. Anne Lamp, inven\u00adtor of the trace\u00adl\u00adess tech\u00adno\u00adlogy, and Johanna Baare (photo)<\/strong> co-foun\u00added trace\u00adl\u00adess in Septem\u00adber 2020: \u201cWe are parti\u00adcu\u00adlarly proud to have the support of expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced venture capi\u00adtal inves\u00adtors who under\u00adstand our deep tech solu\u00adtion, share our mission and want to work with us to maxi\u00admize our posi\u00adtive impact. We are confi\u00addent that their diverse expe\u00adri\u00adence will help us on our jour\u00adney and toge\u00adther we can quickly and safely scale our tech\u00adno\u00adlogy to indus\u00adtrial produc\u00adtion levels. Toge\u00adther with our custo\u00admers, we plan to bring the first products made from trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals to market in early 2022.\u201d www.traceless.eu<\/p>\n \u201cWe evalua\u00adted diverse compa\u00adnies deve\u00adlo\u00adping sustainable plas\u00adtic alter\u00adna\u00adti\u00adves, but none of them excel\u00adled as trace\u00adl\u00adess did in combi\u00adning a strong manage\u00adment team, supe\u00adrior tech\u00adno\u00adlogy with distinct compe\u00adti\u00adtive advan\u00adta\u00adges, supe\u00adrior mate\u00adrial proper\u00adties and holi\u00adstic sustaina\u00adbi\u00adlity. We are ther\u00ade\u00adfore plea\u00adsed to support the trace\u00adl\u00adess team with our tech\u00adni\u00adcal and opera\u00adtio\u00adnal exper\u00adtise to drive the deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment of the company and its products\u201d, explains Corne\u00adlia B\u00e4hr, Invest\u00adment Mana\u00adger at b.value<\/p>\n The close cont\u00adacts between b.value and the German biotech indus\u00adtry open new doors for the team. For exam\u00adple, its network and port\u00adfo\u00adlio compa\u00adnies include some of Germany\u2019s most inno\u00adva\u00adtive deep-tech start\u00adups as well as expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced bioe\u00adco\u00adnomy experts. In addi\u00adtion, High-Tech Gr\u00fcn\u00adder\u00adfonds (HTGF) brings toge\u00adther seve\u00adral basic and specialty chemi\u00adcals compa\u00adnies invol\u00adved in poly\u00admers and ther\u00admo\u00adpla\u00ads\u00adtic compo\u00adsi\u00adtes that have inves\u00adted in its funds. In addi\u00adtion to indus\u00adtry cont\u00adacts and exper\u00adtise, the consor\u00adtium is in a posi\u00adtion to make substan\u00adtial follow-on invest\u00adments in later rounds.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the area of sustainable plas\u00adtic alter\u00adna\u00adti\u00adves, we are seeing a lot of inte\u00adrest from the plas\u00adtics proces\u00adsing indus\u00adtry as well as from compa\u00adnies in the consu\u00admer goods sector. In our view, trace\u00adl\u00adess has the poten\u00adtial to become a tech\u00adno\u00adlogy and market leader in new mate\u00adri\u00adals for pack\u00ada\u00adging, for exam\u00adple,\u201d explains Johan\u00adnes Weber, Invest\u00adment Mana\u00adger at HTGF<\/strong>.<\/p>\n About trace\u00adl\u00adess materials About Planet A About b.value AG<\/strong><\/p>\n With a focus on biotech\u00adno\u00adlogy, life scien\u00adces and chemis\u00adtry, b.value AG invests in start-ups in the pre-seed and seed phase in the D\u2011A-CH region. In addi\u00adtion to its invest\u00adment, b.value AG actively supports its port\u00adfo\u00adlio compa\u00adnies in their deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment with its unique \u201ccompany-buil\u00adding\u201d approach. To this end, b.value AG combi\u00adnes a high degree of tech\u00adno\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal exper\u00adtise in its opera\u00adtio\u00adnal team as well as more than 40 years of expe\u00adri\u00adence in the estab\u00adlish\u00adment, manage\u00adment and deve\u00adlo\u00adp\u00adment of tech\u00adno\u00adlogy compa\u00adnies and the commer\u00adcia\u00adliza\u00adtion of biotech\u00adno\u00adlo\u00adgi\u00adcal products in its manage\u00adment. It also bene\u00adfits from the accu\u00admu\u00adla\u00adted expe\u00adri\u00adence of its board of direc\u00adtors in a wide variety of posi\u00adti\u00adons in busi\u00adness, acade\u00admia and indus\u00adtry, as well as an exten\u00adsive network of scien\u00adtists, execu\u00adti\u00adves, inves\u00adtors, policy makers and indus\u00adtrial and acade\u00admic thought leaders. b.value AG sees its specia\u00adliza\u00adtion and deep under\u00adstan\u00adding of the indus\u00adtry as the key to success. b.value AG is growing and further expan\u00adding its current port\u00adfo\u00adlio of seven attrac\u00adtive investments. About High-Tech Gr\u00fcnderfonds<\/strong><\/p>\n The seed inves\u00adtor High-Tech Gr\u00fcn\u00adder\u00adfonds (HTGF) finan\u00adces tech\u00adno\u00adlogy start-ups with growth poten\u00adtial. With a volume of around EUR 900 million spread across three funds and an inter\u00adna\u00adtio\u00adnal part\u00adner network, HTGF has supported more than 600 start-ups since 2005. His team of expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced invest\u00adment mana\u00adgers and start-up experts supports the young compa\u00adnies with know-how, entre\u00adpre\u00adneu\u00adrial spirit and passion. The focus is on high-tech start-ups in the fields of digi\u00adtal tech, indus\u00adtrial tech, life scien\u00adces, chemis\u00adtry and rela\u00adted busi\u00adness areas. Almost EUR 3 billion in capi\u00adtal has been inves\u00adted in the HTGF port\u00adfo\u00adlio by exter\u00adnal inves\u00adtors in more than 1,700 follow-on finan\u00adcing rounds to date. In addi\u00adtion, the fund has alre\u00adady successfully sold shares in more than 120 companies.<\/p>\n Inves\u00adtors in the public-private part\u00adner\u00adship include the German Fede\u00adral Minis\u00adtry for Econo\u00admic Affairs and Energy, KfW Capi\u00adtal, the Fraun\u00adho\u00adfer-Gesell\u00adschaft and the compa\u00adnies ALTANA, BASF, Bayer, Boeh\u00adrin\u00adger Ingel\u00adheim, B.Braun, Robert Bosch, B\u00dcFA, CEWE, Deut\u00adsche Bank, Deut\u00adsche Post DHL, Dr\u00e4ger, Dril\u00adlisch AG, EVONIK, EWE AG, FOND OF, Haniel, Hettich, Knauf, K\u00f6rber, LANXESS, media + more venture Betei\u00adli\u00adgungs GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT, QIAGEN, RWE Gene\u00adra\u00adtion SE, SAP, Schufa, Schwarz Gruppe, STIHL, Th\u00fcga, Vector Infor\u00adma\u00adtik, WACKER and Wilh. Werhahn KG. www.htgf.de\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hamburg \u2014 The two foun\u00adders Dr. Anne Lamp and Johanna Baare (photo) of Circu\u00adlar Bioe\u00adco\u00adnomy startup trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals were able to convince three inves\u00adtors in their first round of finan\u00adcing: Planet A, High-Tech Gr\u00fcn\u00adder\u00adfonds (HTGF) and b.value AG. Thus, trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals secu\u00adres a single-digit million invest\u00adment only seven months after its foun\u00adda\u00adtion. Hamburg-based startup traceless [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":37308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[886,1364,1366,1369,1371,1373],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43490","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-en","category-featured-en","category-news-en","category-investors","category-deals-en","category-venture-capital-en","news-category-venture-capital-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>
\ntrace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals GmbH is a circu\u00adlar bioe\u00adco\u00adnomy startup from Hamburg with a female foun\u00adding team that offers a holi\u00adstic sustainable alter\u00adna\u00adtive to conven\u00adtio\u00adnal (bio)plastics with the mission to solve global plas\u00adtic pollu\u00adtion on land as well as in water.Their patent-pending tech\u00adno\u00adlogy makes it possi\u00adble for the first time to use by-products of the agri\u00adcul\u00adtu\u00adral indus\u00adtry to produce shelf-stable films, solid mate\u00adri\u00adals and ultra-thin coatings that offer the same bene\u00adfi\u00adcial proper\u00adties as plas\u00adtics yet are fully degra\u00adda\u00adble in nature. While trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals are made from bioba\u00adsed raw mate\u00adri\u00adals, they do not conflict with food produc\u00adtion and ther\u00ade\u00adfore do not contri\u00adbute to land use change. Unlike conven\u00adtio\u00adnal (bio)plastics, trace\u00adl\u00adess comple\u00adtely elimi\u00adna\u00adtes the addi\u00adtion of harmful plas\u00adti\u00adci\u00adzers or solvents and has up to 87% lower CO2 emis\u00adsi\u00adons. Since they are neither chemi\u00adcally modi\u00adfied nor synthe\u00adti\u00adcally poly\u00adme\u00adri\u00adzed, trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals are not expec\u00adted to fall under the EU Plas\u00adtics Direc\u00adtive. Manu\u00adfac\u00adtu\u00adred on an indus\u00adtrial produc\u00adtion scale, trace\u00adl\u00adess mate\u00adri\u00adals are also price compe\u00adti\u00adtive with conven\u00adtio\u00adnal plas\u00adtics, making them a solu\u00adtion for people around the world, across all demo\u00adgra\u00adphics and income levels. Be part of the solu\u00adtion, not pollution!<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>
\nFoun\u00added in 2020, Planet A is an impact inves\u00adtor targe\u00adting for-profit start\u00adups that are making a measura\u00adble posi\u00adtive impact on the planet while buil\u00adding scalable busi\u00adnesses. Planet A part\u00adners with Euro\u00adpean early-stage compa\u00adnies that have the poten\u00adtial to scale globally. The start-ups must contri\u00adbute to a signi\u00adfi\u00adcant posi\u00adtive change in at least one of the follo\u00adwing four key areas: climate protec\u00adtion, waste reduc\u00adtion, resource conser\u00adva\u00adtion and\/or biodi\u00adver\u00adsity protec\u00adtion. For its port\u00adfo\u00adlio compa\u00adnies, Planet A offers impact calcu\u00adla\u00adtion support (scien\u00adti\u00adfic impact measu\u00adre\u00adment, fore\u00adcas\u00adting and visua\u00adliza\u00adtion), the Planet A Network (a diverse, exclu\u00adsive network of expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced German and Euro\u00adpean entre\u00adpre\u00adneurs) and the Below One Fund as a long-term finan\u00adcing part\u00adner (early-stage invest\u00adments with inte\u00adrest in follow-on rounds). Planet A\u2019s mission is to make impact inves\u00adt\u00ading the new normal. www.planet\u2011a.com<\/p>\n
\nwww.bvalue-ag.com.<\/p>\n