€3.5 million investment for Kalpana Systems
Kalpana Systems has secured a €3.5 million investment from investors Fairtree, SIG InnoVentures and the Energy Transition Fund Rotterdam.
Kalpana Systems has been named the winner of the Kraft Heinz Global Innovation Challenge for sustainable food packaging organised by Rethinking Materials. The solution that Kalpana Systems submitted outperformed more than 80 competitors from 25 countries worldwide.
Accelerating the sustainability transition
In this challenge, Kraft Heinz seeks innovative solutions that include flexible barriers for both paper and plastic packaging that extend shelf life by protecting against oxygen and moisture. The winning solution should help the packaging industry fast-forward the sustainability transition.
After successfully concluding a multi-stage evaluation process, Kalpana Systems impressed the judging panel with its application of spatial Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technology to the production of thin barrier films, which not only meets critical shelf-life requirements but also aligns with the industry’s sustainability objectives on recyclability of packaging materials.
> Read more about Rethinking Materials and the Global Innovation Challenge
Breakthrough with superspatial ALD technology
Spatial ALD technology enables the creation of ultra-thin barriers that are just a few nanometres thick. These barriers protect against oxygen and moisture, which helps prevent food spoilage while using significantly less material. The atomic thinness of the layers minimises the use of the barrier material and helps to keep the base material recyclable. It also makes complicated and costly steps to remove barriers redundant. And because spatial ALD operates at low temperature and atmospheric pressure, it comes without the costs and complexity of traditional vacuum processes. This makes spatial ALD ideal for high-volume packaging production. Kalpana Systems’ patented solution, called superspatial ALD, is the first to enable the commercial application of the technology, providing high throughput while meeting industry quality standards.
> Watch our explanimation of superspatial ALD technology
“This recognition from industry leaders like Kraft Heinz underscores the commercial potential of our solution for sustainable food and non-food packaging,” said Sandra Wiegman, Lead Business Development at Kalpana Systems. “Our superspatial ALD technology ensures optimal food preservation while minimising environmental impact—demonstrating that sustainability and performance can go hand-in-hand.”
Kraft Heinz Global Innovation Challenge: a strategic partnership opportunity
As part of their achievement, Kalpana Systems will receive strategic mentorship from Kraft Heinz’s Global Innovation team, grant access to their R&D facilities and guidance on technical scale-up processes.
Linda Roman, Director of Packaging at Kraft Heinz and North America R&D Fellow, noted: “At Kraft Heinz, we believe that collaboration is key to driving meaningful impact, and we’re excited to provide feedback and insight to Kalpana System so we can apply their innovations to production processes. The passion, creativity and ingenuity of Kalpana System fill me with optimism for a more sustainable future for food packaging.”
