Germany’s Voith has acquired shares in the sustainability start-up Yangi, headquartered in Varberg, Sweden. Yangi’s ground-breaking technology emerges from ten years of R&D within its sister company, The Loop Factory, which focuses on the megatrends of sustainability and circular economy. Yangi manufactures next-generation fibre-based solutions.

Voith is investing in future-oriented technologies to further drive decarbonisation in the paper industry. Yangi has developed a manufacturing process and is pioneering a new technology to produce 3D-formed, cellulose-based packaging. The process is based on dry forming principles in one machine line and enables a cost- and resource-efficient solution that has the potential to replace rigid plastic at scale.

Compared to the water- and energy-intensive wet pulp moulding process, Yangi’s dry forming process uses no water and less energy, resulting in minimised CO2 emissions and 75 per cent less energy consumption. The applications for packaging solutions are diverse and range from cosmetics and beauty products to fresh food, take-away, and consumer goods. For example, in addition to Voith, the luxury brand Chanel has also acquired shares in Yangi and is actively supporting its business development, Voith said in a press release.

“We are excited about the partnership between Voith and Yangi. With Voith, we have found the right partner to further develop our innovative solutions and also grow in new business areas,” said Johann Kaiser, CEO of Yangi.

“From the beginning, we have been united by our common interest and motivation in sustainable technologies,” said Anna Altner, founder of Yangi and The Loop Factory.

“Voith's expertise as the leading full-line supplier in the paper industry and Yangi’s expertise in dry processing of fibres open new doors for innovative solutions. Fibre-based packaging is a sustainable alternative to plastic and will continue to gain relevance. Compared to petroleum-based packaging, the newly produced fibre packaging saves 75 per cent CO2 emissions. In addition, the innovative process is characterised by short cycle times. The investment in Yangi is therefore an important strategic step for us to advance our decarbonisation strategy as part of our Papermaking for Life sustainability programme,” said Michael Weiss, CTO at Voith Paper.