TAGS: Green and Bioplastics
Stora Enso has chosen six startups to join its second Accelerator Program, a joint startup initiative organized by Stora Enso, Aalto University Developing Entrepreneurship (Aalto ENT) and Vertical Accelerator.
Megatrend Circular Economy in Focus
The Accelerator program provides an exceptional opportunity for disruptive startups and Stora Enso to actively ideate and innovate new solutions. This year’s program focuses specifically on the circular economy, especially regarding:
- Circular solutions
- Raw material management
- Packaging
- Separation and sorting, and
- Energy
“With global megatrends, the circular economy will play a significant role in business and society in the coming years. We are teaming up with startups to further explore how Stora Enso can best contribute,” says Malin Bendz, Executive Vice President, HR. “We have been greatly encouraged by our first Accelerator program, which has resulted in two ongoing partnerships, with Sulapac and Trä Group, building on renewable solutions.”
The final six startups emerged from a rigorous and competitive selection process. After submitting a written application and video, more than 85 startups were evaluated and filtered down to the top 40. Reviewed by Stora Enso Scouts and Vertical, 20 of these startups were invited to Selection Days, a two-day event for presentations and intensive interviews. A shortlist of twelve startups presented to Stora Enso’s Group Leadership Team for the selection of the final six.
The startups invited to join the 2019 Accelerator Program are:
- Effa, a disposable eco-clean toothbrush made of paper
- RePack - a reusable packaging service, simple solution to a single-use waste problem
- Alucha - a company that develops innovative recycling solutions
- Bloom – a biomass specialist developed a new route for the production of biorenewable products
- MiWa - a retail solution developing company which is based on pre-cycling, meaning developing a way of effectively selling goods without packaging
- SFTec – a company which has developed a cost-efficient, scalable and mobile drying technology
Over the next few months, the startups will work side by side with Stora Enso participants, delving into and advancing know-how, capabilities, technologies and market opportunities. Co-location takes place at Vertical accelerator, one of the largest and most prominent startup communities in Finland.
Source: Stora Enso