Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the packaging sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 4 promising barrier packaging solutions.
Heat Map: 4 Top Barrier Packaging Solutions
For our 4 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 4 interesting examples out of 97 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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Seelution – Gas Barriers
Gases, especially oxygen, are major contributors to food quality deterioration. Direct exposure to gases catalyzes the process of freshness reduction and threatens customer satisfaction. Gas barriers aim at preserving the packaging content from the harmful effects of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other gases to increase the products’ shelf life.
Swedish startup Seelution develops Skalax, a bio-based oxygen barrier material, applied via dispersion coating for multi-layer food packaging. In addition, Seelution’s barriers are recyclable and contain no fluorocarbons.
Melodea – Water Vapor Barriers
Since packaged goods are usually transported and stored in different humidity conditions, they have to possess a proper damp-proof layer. Water vapor barriers usually prevent packaging contents from condensation issues, regulate moisture levels and resist water ingression or diffusion.
Israeli startup Melodea creates water vapor and oil-based protective coatings, based on recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable Cellulose Nano Crystals (CNC). The startup uses a patented technology to extract and manufacture CNC out of wood pulp.
Smart Plastic – Antimicrobial Barriers
Consumer safety represents an important concern in the packaging industry, especially regarding food and medical products. Antimicrobial barriers address the functional ability of films and packages to limit the growth of microorganisms, hinder pathogenic bacteria and avert contamination of contents.
The US-based startup Smart Plastic offers a variety of barrier additives, especially for antimicrobial and antifungal use cases. Smart Plastic’s additives utilize Silver-Ion technology to manage and eliminate common microorganisms (Salmonella, E.Coli, Listeria, etc.) and fungi inside packagings.
Titan Bioplastics – Ultraviolet Barriers
The state of being permanently subjected to intense retail lighting, especially ultraviolet (UV) array, contributes to gradual spoilage of goods’ quality, notably for plastic and heat – or UV-sensitive – packages. UV coatings and additives assist in elevating barrier properties and lowering the ultraviolet transmission level of the packaging.
The startup Titan Bioplastics creates Titan Nanofill – an additive for packaging that not only maintains moisture and oxygen protection but also enhances UV barrier and cost-savings. Titan Bioplastic’s materials ground on the use of hemp graphene nanoparticles.
What About The Other 93 Barrier Packaging Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 4 barrier packaging solutions showcased above are promising examples out of 97 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
