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 want to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising connected packaging startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Connected Packaging Startups
Using our StartUs Insights Platform, covering 1.116.000+ startups & emerging companies, we looked at innovation in the field of connected packaging. For this research, we identified 345 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and technology among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing connected packaging solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 345 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
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LivingPackets – Smart Reusable Packaging
Smart reusable packaging reduces packaging waste and creates a closed-loop recycling system. This helps to store food, paint, and chemicals for longer with the use of biomaterials that increase the lifetime of a product. Besides, smart reusable packaging solutions use blockchain technology and sensors to enable continuous traceability at reduced costs.
The French startup LivingPackets manufactures smart packaging boxes made up of recyclable expanded polypropylene. Using this solution, the startup covers shipping items from the size of a SIM-card or a book to the size of two shoeboxes. The smart box reduces carbon emissions and uses an electronic ink address data display, integrated holding mechanism, and smart locking system to securely protect packages.
Vestapack – Connected Refill Containers
The introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in packaging enables smart devices to learn from human actions. Thanks to active chips and sensors that employ specific notification systems (e.g. alarms), users are notified about the need to refill supplies such as milk, water, or food. Startups across the world are developing connected packages that inform individuals on their emptiness levels and thereby reduce waste.
Vestapack is a UK-based startup that leverages the IoT to monitor, manage, and arrange the transportation and refill of supplies. The company’s biodegradable containers set off alarms when the contents of the container are low. Vestapack’s platform and app learn from user patterns and provide full tracking of the packages in use or transit.
ColorSensing – Connected Quick Response (QR) Sensors
Connected OR sensing technology usually finds applications in packages containing medicines and food, where lifetime and expiration dates are exceedingly important. In these cases, the technology assists consumers in recognizing the quality, freshness, or other parameters of a product. Moreover, automation brings more cost-effectiveness, and greater accuracy in terms of the package’s internal “health”.
The Spanish startup ColorSensing utilizes QR technology to automatically and quantitatively measure food freshness. The startup employs colorimetry-based sensors to quantify the condition of the food inside the package while a color-corrected output indicates the freshness of the food.
kaiosID – Anti-Counterfeit
Frequent incidents of packaging crimes, as well as products’ hacking and counterfeiting, pose a packaging safety challenge. Anti-counterfeiting traceability addresses this issue with hidden security patterns that protect the manufacturer’s identity without any changes in the design. This technology aims at safeguarding the entire supply chain and reducing counterfeit and imitation products on the market.
kaiosID is a Swiss startup that offers a cloud-based traceability solution. The startup manufactures transparent labels, security labels, and various kinds of other tamper-proof labels that incorporate traceability features. kaiosID also uses new digital printing technologies to print creative and colorful, scannable patterns on packages with both visible and invisible inks.
Thaddeus – Temperature-Controlled Packaging
Variability in temperatures across regions or during transport negatively influences the contents of packages. However, with the help of intelligent software, wireless communications, and climate-control, temperature-controlled packaging strives to protect them from the atmosphere for long. As a result, these enhance control over lead-time, reduce labor and material costs, while continuously providing connected temperature insights.
Thaddeus is a US-based startup that develops smart packaging solutions for temperature-sensitive products. Their patented platform, iQ-ler, offers a range of software and hardware features for temperature-controlled packaging. The platform has a built-in IoT system that enables real-time tracking, active temperature control, and lid security sensor for strengthened product safety. iQ-ler transports medical specimens, such as vaccines, drugs, blood, tissues, and organs.
What About The Other 340 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 so you can achieve your goals faster. The 5 connected packaging startups showcased above are promising examples out of 345 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
