Pickler, an independent footprint software startup that enables packaging companies to calculate, reduce, and share the impact of packaging, raised €500k in a new funding round. The funding round was led by Shamrock Ventures, a venture capital fund that specializes in sustainable tech investments, and supported by Pickler’s existing angel investor and early-stage startup investor APX.vc.
Pickler’s software comes at a crucial time for the packaging industry. With an increasing trend of conscious consumerism and new EU legislation such as the Green Claims Directive and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSDR), packaging producers, distributors, and retailers are required to transparently showcase the impact of complete packaging portfolios.
Koen de Beer, co-founder of Pickler, said: “This successful funding round in a challenging funding climate proves investors believe in the business opportunities product footprint reduction will bring within the upcoming 5 years. Together with frontrunners in the packaging industry, we proudly prove that having a transparent story about the environmental impact of their products results in a positive business case with a short return on investment. With this investment round, we can reach even more companies in the packaging industry and help them effectively reduce emissions in their value chain.”
Founded in 2021, Pickler solves the difficulty of creating and commercially communicating credible environmental evidence for packaging on a large scale. The software applies an accessible Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based methodology, combined with intuitive packaging-focused predictive algorithms and a dynamic auto-updated data system that immediately reflects any value chain data changes. This enables footprint calculations (LCA) at a fraction of the current costs, even if there’s little supplier data to start with. Pickler’s user-friendliness empowers users with any professional background to cost-effectively calculate, compare, and proudly share the environmental impact of all their packaging – over the product’s full life cycle. Helping them and their customers comply with EU legislation.
Tommy Hurley, managing partner at Shamrock Ventures, added: “Pickler’s unique software and take on making product footprint calculations accessible to business is much needed. We are thrilled to support Pickler in its mission to help the packaging industry achieve the 55% CO2-eq EU reduction target for 2030.”
Pickler completely complies with anti-greenwashing legislation such as the EU’s Green Claims Directive and the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets. Additionally, its collaboration with the foundation Sustainability Impact Metrics (a spin-off of the Technical University Delft) ensures independence and credibility in its methodology, database, and results. Helping users drastically reduce the risks of greenwashing in sales and marketing.
By using Pickler, packaging companies can now correctly use and benefit from credible environmental insights in their sales and marketing processes. Materials, processes, products, or portfolios can be compared, supplemented by suppliers, and shared with customers in many ways. Empowering users to easily meet customer demand and differentiate themselves from competitors by informing (potential) customers about environmental impact at the earliest stages. Fostering sustainable decision-making and reduction throughout the value chain.
